Team members of the research project A Safer Future recently visited the Center for Civic Orientation, as part of a day of professional development for their community communicators. The day had a focus on how the community communicators can work with issues related to diverse sexual orientations, romantic relationships, gender identities, and/or gender expressions.
The Center for Civic Orientation is an office serving the municipalities in Stockholm County and Håbo municipality in Uppsala County. They offer free courses in societal orientation for newly arrived migrants and their family members, informing about the Swedish society, rights, responsibilities, and societal structure.
How health- and social services, health education, and society can support refugees who identify as LGBTQ+
The research project A Safer Future investigates how health- and social services, health education, and society can support refugees who identify as LGBTQ+. Tommy Carlsson and Maria Gottvall, both researchers at the Swedish Red Cross University, gave a presentation and participated in discussions with the community communicators. The day was concluded with a visit to the Stockholm City Museum for a guided tour about queer history in Stockholm. The researchers appreciated the opportunity to visit the center.
"We feel honored to have been invited to give a presentation during this day for competence development. I think it was a very nice and rewarding day, and if I understood correctly, the participants also thought so. There were interesting discussions both during our presentation and afterward. In the afternoon, we joined the group for a guided tour at the City Museum with the theme of LGBTQ+ history in Stockholm. It was interesting and a nice way to end the day. Since we were with the group the whole day, we had the opportunity to talk to the participants and understand more about conducting civic orientation training for newly arrived immigrants, and the opportunities and challenges it may pose when discussing LGBTQ+ and sexual health in the courses," said Maria Gottvall, lecturer and researcher at the Swedish Red Cross University.
Issues related to sexual health and rights
The researchers hope that the communicators found the information and discussions valuable. The day included discussions on how the center works on issues related to sexual health and rights.
"The Center for Civic Orientation has an important task and has a great potential to provide migrants with information about sexual health and rights. We hope that the communicators found the day useful and that we can continue to collaborate with the center more in the future. As nurses and midwives, we have a crucial responsibility to inform everyone in the population about their right to good health and access to adequate health services. Refugees who identify as LGBTQ+ are at risk of experiencing health issues as a result of discrimination and social exclusion in various social contexts. I am so glad that the center asked if we wanted to contribute in their competence development," said Tommy Carlsson, project manager and associate professor at the Swedish Red Cross University.
About the research project
The research project A Safer Future (länk) is conducted at the Swedish Red Cross University and is funded by Forte. In the project, LGBTQ+ is defined as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other diverse sexual orientations, romantic relationships, gender identities, and gender expressions that extend beyond societal norms.
