Where to Belong: Being a Sexual and Ethnic Minority Group Member in Norway

Abstract

Norway is perceived as an egalitarian society, providing freedom for diverse minority groups to live their lives without facing discriminatory practices. However, the lived experiences of groups who simultaneously occupy multiple minority positions might be testimony to the complex ways a society enables or hinders identity formation. Taking an intersectional approach and drawing upon in-depth, semi-structured interviews with nine queer individuals with an ethnic minority background, we explored how they negotiate where they belong, relating to social and structural elements of Norwegian society. We also examined how having multiple minority positions may affect belonging to a collective where they are or are not problematized. We developed five themes from the participants’ interviews: 1) exclusion based on being visibly different, 2) having to explain oneself, 3) struggling with heteronormativity, 4) non-acceptance by family and ethnic ingroup, and 5) majority queer community as a place of exclusion. Our analysis underlines the potentially dilemmatic ‘nature’ of having multiple minority identities. Dealing with both majority’s expectations and demands and tackling the norms and demands of family and ethnic ingroup is construed as a problem by our participants. We detail and discuss the ways in which our participants experience and relate to majority culture, racism, and heteronormativity.

Appendix

In-depth Interview Research Questions

• 1. Background

First, I would like to ask some general background questions:

1.1 How old are you?

1.2 Where do you live? (the city, specifically)? How long have you lived there?

1.3 Do you originally come from a different country or region?

1.4 What do you do for a living?

1.5 How do you identify your gender identity and sexual orientation?

• 2. Current life situation

2.1 Are you open about your sexual orientation? To whom? Do you feel safe?

2.2 How much contact do you have with other queer people with immigrant background ? How do you experience this contact?

2.3 How much contact do you have with hetero-people with immigrant background? How do you experience this contact?

2.4 How much contact do you have with queer people with non-immigrant background? How do you experience this contact?

2.5 How much contact do you have with your family? How do you experience this contact? Do you feel loved and accepted?

• 3. Minority stress and intersectionality leading to specific vulnerabilities

3.1 Could you please list for me all the difficulties, if any, associated with having immigrant background and belonging to the LGBTQ community. What are the biggest difficulties for you?

3.2 Would you say you feel more connected to the LGBTQ community or the community with the immigrant background? Do you ever feel like you have to choose between the two communities? How do you experience here?

3.3 Can you remember the first time you heard a word in your mother language for_____ (use gender or sexuality term chosen by research participant to describe themselves under question 1.5)? How was it used? How did you feel about the word when you realized that some people might apply it to you?

3.4 Have you ever experienced prejudice and/or discrimination because of having immigrant background identity and/or queer identity? If yes, in what context? And how did it make you feel? Does it happen often? What do you think about the society’s (or specific groups’) opinion regarding LGBTQ?

The work presented here was performed partly while the first author was a visiting researcher at Oslo University [and is now at VID Specialized University]. The project was conducted under all relevant ethical standards and all requirements of the Norwegian Center for Research Data (NSD), Norway. Participants were agreed to participate after they signed an inform consent separately from the main documents. The manuscript is not under consideration for publication elsewhere. We have no conflicts of interest that might affect the study.