Видео из «Бергенского зайца» украли для антискандинавской передачи на ОРТ

movie «Up in Smoke» during daytime, meaning it was for the promotion of drugs.The whole week Russians have been asking if we protect children too eagerly.

In cases like these comparisons to the european experience are being made, but in Scandinavia as it turns out there is a different approach.

Terence is from a family with one mom and one dad. But since his young age he’s being taught that having two dads is at least not worse. That’s what the popular Dutch song that he’s been offered to sing for a kids’ TV program is about.

In a kindergarten in the center of Stockholm filming the children has not been allowed. The reason is that their means of education lead to controversy even inside Sweden itself. However, the principal considers them revolutionary as the kids let go of the stereotypical gender norms. For instance, the staff are not allowed to say the words «he» or «she». Talking to children they use an invented impersonal pronoun «hen» that’s common among gays and lesbians. It can’t be translated to Russian. The toys here are as impersonal.

«As an example there’s this African gender neutral toy. It shouldn’t be considered a girl just because of its long hair. It’s a genderless toy with a neutral face. It’s up to the child’s imagination whether it’s a boy or a girl, sad or happy» — says the deputy principal of the kindergarten Anders Bengtsson.

There are no stories about the little mermaid, snow white or the sleeping beauty being read to the children. In the teachers’ opinion a masculine or a feminine character are also stereotypes. Instead of this there are books in which you can’t understand if they’re about a boy or a girl.

This kind of literature with an unconventional view on life is filling the shelves of the scandinavian book stores. One of these stores is about a boy and his dad that’s got a friend. At first the main character is curious, then he’s feeling jealous but eventually he’s accepting the man as a member of the family.

In Norway it’s taught since school that the concept of a traditional family is severely outdated. It’s one of the initiatives of the community of sexual minorities — lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgendered individuals, LGBT in short. A Center as part of the Ministry of Children has been specifically created to work on educational projects.

«Year after year the education system is getting better. Mathematical problems talking about a family with two dads are appearing in the math books. We visit schools and talk to the students about what it is to be gay. Our goal is to make people see all the variety» — says the leader of a Norwegian LGBT association Bard Nulund.

Gay activists assure that a gay pride parade in which children take part is necessary to promote tolerance within the society. And they accuse the opponents of underaged children attending these demonstrations in the lack of tolerance. Even the church doesn’t haveg enough authority in these debates.

«Many of the people criticizing gays are afraid of being called extremists. The government affects the independence of the church by forcefully promoting tolerance. You will never be in the church if you’re a homophobic priest, moreover, gay priests are the preference» — says the head of the information department of the Norwegian Lutheran Mission Espen Ottosen.

5 years ago there’s been no social advertisements on this subject but now it shares a significant percentage of all the programs shown on TV in many European contries.

The minority are those that state «it’s not as much of fighting the old stereotypes anymore as it’s pushing new ones». Only a small number of people are not afraid to say the same. One of the few who have agreed for an interview is a young politician Morten Dahle Stark.

«In my point of view homosexuality is surely not normal but when we talk about it we get letters with threats and warnings. Discussing this subject here is very hard because the homosexuals’ interests are supported by the scientific and political elites of the country» — says a member of the Christian peoples’ party of Norway, an independent expert of the Staffeldtsgate college Morten Dahle Stark.

«Our past Minister of Finance came out as homosexual upon taking a seat in the government. This is what he writes: «When I finally came out to myself as gay I became more self-confident and my life of a loner ended at last»» — says one of the authors of the book «Gay kids» Rolf Martin Angeltvedt.

It’s a quote from the book «Gay kids» that can be literally translated as «gay-kids». It’s about the childhood of people of nontraditional sexual orientation. The authors dream of it becoming a school book and also getting published in English for the readers in other countries. This project has huge support in Norway but beyond the borders you can face certain accusations.

«Many say that we want there to be more gay kids. In reality the kids that will see their true selves and find out whether they are gay or not because of our book, they will have less issues with drugs and mental health» — thinks one of the authors of the book «Gay kids» Rolf Martin Angeltvedt.

«We can call all of it propaganda. There’s a very successful campaign going targeting children, among others. When instead of talking about the traditional role of family in society they say that homosexuality is normal and great, it misleads the kids. The value system is changing» — confidently says the analyst of an organiation Christian Concern Peter Norris.

The child psychologist Ashild Marie Vige came to the interview with her wife, and they are just happy with the changes in the value system. In Norway there are more than 20 thousands of kids growing up in same-sex families. Two thirds of the society support this adoption practice.

«Generally it’s still considered to be normal to live with a mom and a dad. But it’s not the norm for many kids. Is there a reason to not allow same-sex parents to have a child? In that case we would stop improving the society and let the bad side win» — says a child psychologist Ashild Marie Vige.

Kjell Erik, previously known in the whole Norway as a gay activist and now deputy minister of health, regards same-sex family as an important part of a modern tolerant society. This is his husband Tron and these are the children Tobias and Bastian that the adoptive parents educate with the help of their two biological moms who are lesbians.

«One day my son asked: «listen, is it true that a man can also marry a woman?» Then I explained to him: «it’s what the majority of the men do. And perhaps you will also marry a woman. If not, it’s not that important. Yes, sometimes we gays get gay kids but they also appear in heterosexual families» — notes the deputy minister of health of Norway Kjell Erik Ule.

Yet there are no official demographics on this subject either in Norway or other countries. It’s only recently that the sexual minorities have started adopting in large quantities. While the majority of psychologists warns that every kind of knowledge must have its time. And kids sinking into the world of adults’ problems will rather puzzle than help. There is the age of purity and only upon overcoming it the child is ready to form their own tastes and bonds. Including the tolerance to those that are different from them.

translator: Rose