On 16 October, Norwegian Bishop Olav Fykse Tveit visited Oslo’s London Pub gay bar, issuing a public apology for decades of institutional discrimination.
Apology Delivered at Gay Bar
On Thursday, 16 October, Bishop Olav Fykse Tveit walked into the London Pub in Oslo, a gay bar that hosted an equality celebration in 2022 when a shooting occurred, killing two people. While there, he spoke on behalf of the Norwegian Bishops Conference, saying the world is better when people can love freely and apologized for decades of discrimination against the LGBT+ community.
Norwegian Church’s Historical Discrimination
The bishop recalled that in the past, lesbians and gay men were barred from working or volunteering in church positions, even with suitable qualifications. The church also equated HIV and AIDS with a “divine punishment” for homosexuals, and in the 1950s the Episcopal Conference labelled homosexuals as a “social threat of global scope.” Partnership agreements were also prohibited until changes now allow same‑sex couples to be honored during church ceremonies.
Mixed Reactions to the Apology
Responses within the non‑heteronormative community are divided. Hanne Marie Pedersen‑Eriksen of the Christian Skeivt network on TV2 said apologies are an important restitution for many queer people, but others either feel the timing is too late or too early, arguing that trust has been broken or that the struggle continues.
