IMDi has released films with suggestions for new words towards gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people in Somali and Arabic hoping to increase tolerance towards all sexual orientations.
-” In Arabic, there are 40 words for love, but no respectful words for men who love men. In Somali there are nine words for kissing, but no respectful words towards women who are attracted to women.”, says Libe Reiber-Mohn, The Director for Integration and Diversity(IMDi), to Aftenposten.
-” All love is of the same worth regardless of sexuality of whom one loves. Words have power. How refer to each other carries significance on how we see each other and ourselves.”, she continues to say.
The purpose of the films is to give queer youth with a multilingual background words to speak about their own identity in their mother tongue, like Somali and Arabic, without it being condescending or shameful.
The films are made in cooperation with Skeiv Verden, Following feedback at many in the minority groups can not find neutral or positive terms to describe LGBT(Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transexual), especially in Arabic and Somali.
