Sweden gay

Gay and woman loving woman life in Stockholm is like the city itself: easily accessible, hugely entertainment, highly varied, affectionate, and welcoming. Over the years, Stockholm has emerged as one of the world’s favorite LGTBQ+ destinations, winning awards and topping Where to go-lists across the planet.

Want to find LGBTQ+ -friendly restaurants and bars?Check out our reference here!

Looking for The LGBTQ+ clubs and events?See what's coming up in our guide!

Stockholm Pride is the biggest Gay event of the year. Read more aboutthis year's festival in our guide.

Want LGBTQ-travel tips? Inspect outStockholmLGBTfor more inspiration, and LGBTQ+ highlights!

LGBTQ+ Progress in Sweden

• 1944 Homosexual relationships are legalized
• 1972 Sweden becomes the first nation in the earth to legally authorize gender change
• 1979 The National Board of Health and Welfare (Socialstyrelsen) decides homosexuality is no longer a mental disorder
• 1987 Ban on discrimination ag

  We’re here, we’re queer, and it’s just so damn normal

  Sweden, where being queer is just. so. damn. normal.

  Before I came to study in Sweden, I had heard it was the world’s Gay mecca, and yes, that’s gay with a capital G. The place where the queers can come as they are and do as they please. I fantasized that Sweden paved its roads with rainbows and that everyday would feel enjoy a Pride Parade.

  However, now having lived and loved for a year as a queer chick in Sweden, in my trial, I have learned that Sweden is in fact the lgbtq+ utopia I heard about, but not in all the ways I dreamed or imagined. The magic did not come from the overt, flamboyant colors of Pride (though you can discover Pride flags flying all over Sweden), or the wild nightlife scene (also something you can find), but rather, quite the opposite. 

  For me*, I have set up that being queer in Sweden is rather normal. Really normal. So normal that you even begin to feel like you are just another hetero walking down the road, hand-in-hand with your hetero partner- but you’re not, you’re a queer person walking hand-in-hand with your homosexual partner, and that’s totally normal. But people don’t treat you any differen

  Sweden

  Experiencing Swedish Food

  LINGONBERRIES

  Lingonberry jam is a sweet condiment made to accompany a variety of different foods, from meatballs to pancakes to porridge. It’s one of Sweden’s traditional foods that evokes childhood nostalgia as many young Swedes mature up picking berries in the forest throughout the summer months.

  PICKLED HERRING

  Pickled herring is a favorite due to the abundance of herring in both the North and Baltic seas. With roots back to the Middle Ages, Swedes have been pickling herring for generations as a way of preserving the fish for storage and transportation. Pickled herring comes in a variety of flavors—mustard, onion, garlic and dill, to name a few. The bold flavors pair well with many of the other traditional Swedish favorites like boiled potatoes, sour cream, chopped chives and sharp difficult cheese.

  SWEDISH MEATBALLS

  Pro tip: Swedes don’t love when you reference the IKEA-cafeteria version of their beloved classic. But you can discover delicious meatballs at a variety of restaurants all around the country. According to Visit Sweden,”In their most traditional form, Swedish meatballs (köttbullar) are made of
  
  

  Marriage in Sweden

  LGBTQI FactsRFSLPhoto: Mathilda Piehl

  Since 2009 Sweden has a gender neutral marriage legislation, which means that same sex couples can receive married under the same conditions as opposite sex couples. As a foreign citizen without residency in Sweden you can, in some cases, also obtain married in Sweden.

  Requirements and procedures when getting married

  You don’t have to dwell (have residency) in Sweden or contain a Swedish citizenship to get married in Sweden. If neither of the two have Swedish citizenship or residency in Sweden, they need have residency (or one hold citizenship and the other one contain residency) in a country where same sex partnership or marriage is legal.

  Inquiry into impediments to marriage

  Before a couple can marry, the Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket) must conduct an inquiry into impediments of marriage (hindersprövning). The couple must file a written request to the Swedish Tax Agency. Application forms, unfortunately only in Swedish, can be create at the Agency’s website.

  According to Swedish law, the following are considered impediments to marriage:

  • being under the age of 18 (the County Administrative Board