Take the night back! – VG

This is a leader. The leader expresses VG’s attitude. VG’s political editor is responsible for the leader.

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Already the morning after the shooting, the police opened for this could be about hate crime. Among other things, they built it at one of the venues for the action – the traditional London pub, which has been a queer living room in Oslo for several decades.

The attack took place the night before the big Pride parade, which was to gather hundreds of thousands of queers for a party. And to battle.

For Pride is about both partying and fighting. It is May 17 and March 8 at the same time. This year there was extra reason to mark, 50 years after sex between men was decriminalized. It was to be a celebration, in deep gratitude to those who went before. The first to take up the fight for love – their own, and others’.

An attack on our entire society

It was tough back then. A lot has happened during these 50 years. But there are still prejudices against those who love one of the same sex, or against those who have a different orientation or identity than the majority have. And as we have seen many examples elsewhere in the world – some people carry such hatred that it leads to violence. And to murder.

We remember the massacre of one nightclub for queers in Orlando in 2016. We know of countries in the Middle East where there is the death penalty for living out gay love. We know of countries and societies where queers are harassed, persecuted and even killed because of their orientation.

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It is too early to finally conclude what is the background and motive for the terrorist attack in Oslo on Saturday night. The police have now requested one judicial observation that the accused.

But there are many indications at the moment that the answer was Pride, and the queer family, who were the target of the action. If this proves to be true, it is also an attack on our entire society. On freedom and openness, on the right to express oneself, to show who one is, to choose one’s own life and one’s own form of love.

The terrorist against all the rest of us

An extreme Islamist terrorist act, is the assessment from the Police Security Service. The accused 42-year-old has been connected to extreme Islamist circles. Many Muslim Norwegians may now fear that some will hold them responsible for what has happened. It is a fear that we hope will prove unfounded.

It was a white Norwegian from Oslo west who attacked Norway on July 22, 2011. Other countries have been hit by Islamist terror, such as the United States on September 11, 2001. Left-wing extremists have carried out terrorist acts in other societies, for example in Europe in the 1970s .

The lesson is that it is the terrorist against all of us. Always. Extreme ideologies and extreme interpretations of religion contain many of the same elements. Here, people are divided into “worthy” and “unworthy”, and supporters can use violence, even murder, to achieve their political goals.

Firmness and wisdom

In the face of this, we must stand together, all of us. Norwegians of all kinds, all religions, genders and worldviews. We must have honest debates on difficult issues, we must endure being challenged, and we must endure disagreement. In the knowledge that we want each other’s best, and that we make a common front against extremism, no matter what it springs from.

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In an open and free society like Norway, we can never get guarantees that terror will hit us. Norway is not a police state with armed men and women in uniform on every street corner. There will always be a risk that something could happen.

The risk must be limited by all the means available to a democratic state governed by the rule of law. In those cases where we still experience terror, such as now, we must face it with firmness, and with wisdom. This applies to both the authorities and all of us who live in this country.

Now we see that Norway is calling about the queer environment. The royal family, the prime minister and several ministers lay flowers at the scene, surrounded by ordinary people. The Crown Prince and Crown Princess spontaneously hug people they meet, with security guards at a discreet distance. Once again, we see our authorities facing terror with openness and democracy.

Room for anger

There has been a lot of love in the streets this weekend. Pride, along with deep sadness and despair. But there must also be room for anger. And for a cry to take the night back.

– Last night the rainbow turned black, said Minister for Gender Equality Anette Trettebergstuen after what happened Saturday night.

The rainbow must get its colors back. We hope we can celebrate Pride in the country’s capital as soon as possible, so that the streets of Oslo are once again filled with queer and straight people of all kinds, who celebrate love and freedom. The right to love who we want. Without fear.

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