The Norwegian municipality of Oslo gets a designated rainbow square in the city. Recently, the city council revealed its location: close to the statue of Henrik Wergeland, between the parliament building, the castle and the national theatre. However, not all people are enthusiastic.
The rainbow square will be located at the same place where the annual pride party takes place in Oslo. “The location has been central to the gay struggle to move the laws. That is why it is right to have a place here”, Rina Mariann Hansen, city councillor for work, integration and social services, says in an interview with Avisa Oslo.
The official opening of the square will take place on April 21th. The news agency writes that that day is the 50th anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexuality in Norway.
Three years ago, city council representative Jon Reidar Øyan (Labor Party) proposed that Oslo should have a rainbow square. The entire city council voted in favour, Norge idag reports.
Øyan says to Avisa Oslo that everyone who visits Oslo should see that it is a diverse city. “Because I believe that every big city with self-respect must have a rainbow place. Copenhagen has one, Bergen does too, and now we are opening one in Oslo this spring. It is the end of the time of shame. Now it is openness and pride that counts.”
Religious
However, not all people are happy with the new rainbow square. Øivind Benestad, head of the MorFarBarn foundation, says to Norge idag that the city council talks about inclusive language, “but the truth is that communication is becoming more and more one-sided and exclusive for hundreds of thousands, yes probably the majority of the population.” According to Benestad, many people feel overwhelmed, marginalised and alienated by the rainbow square.
Truls Olufsen-Mehus, the leader in Troms and Finnmark KrF, also thinks that the designation of the rainbow square is a worrying development. “It looks like Oslo politicians have become more religious by adopting this new plan than us, who live in the village.”
