Editing Sweden Democrats (section)

==== LGBT rights ====
The party today fully supports legalization of [[same-sex marriage]] and [[civil union]]s for gay couples but believes the ultimate decision to perform a wedding ceremony should be decided by the individual religious institution rather than the state.<ref>{{cite web|title=Jämställdhetspolitik|url=https://sd.se/var-politik/jamstalldhetspolitik/|website=Sd.se|access-date=28 July 2015|language=sv|archive-date=10 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151210190603/https://sd.se/var-politik/jamstalldhetspolitik/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

SD previously opposed government sanctioned adoption to single people and same-sex couples unless the adopting party are close relatives or already have a close relationship with the child, but has since shifted its stance to permitting [[same-sex adoption]] and supports privately funded insemination for single or gay parents. Historically, members of SD have criticized a so-called "[[Gay Mafia|Homosex Lobby]]" but the party has since changed and moderated its position on LGBT in Swedish society. Party leader Jimmie Åkesson has expressed concerns that what he describes as the gradual [[Spread of Islam|Islamisation]] of Sweden will eventually lead to the rights of [[Sexual minority|sexual minorities]] being violated.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Brandel |first1=Tobias |date=28 July 2010 |title=SD siktar in sig på hbt-röster |trans-title=SD targets LGBT voices |url=http://www.svd.se/nyheter/inrikes/sd-siktar-in-sig-pa-hbt-roster_5054837.svd |url-access=subscription |access-date=24 February 2015 |work=[[Svenska Dagbladet]] |language=sv |archive-date=18 November 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141118043113/http://www.svd.se/nyheter/inrikes/sd-siktar-in-sig-pa-hbt-roster_5054837.svd |url-status=live }}</ref>

Throughout the early 2000s, ''SD-Kuriren'' (the official SD party newspaper) regularly published articles criticizing LGBT events and describing homosexuality as "perversion", before moderating itself alongside a shift in party ideology.<ref>{{cite web |last=Söder |first=Björn |author-link=Björn Söder |date=3 August 2007 |title=Präster från Svenska Kyrkan deltar i homosexevenemang |trans-title=Priests from the Church of Sweden participates in gay sex event |url=http://www.sdkuriren.se/blog/index.php/soder/2007/08/03/praster_fran_svenska_kyrkan_deltar_pa_ho |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071109003220/http://www.sdkuriren.se/blog/index.php/soder/2007/08/03/praster_fran_svenska_kyrkan_deltar_pa_ho<!--Manually retrieved archive--> |archive-date=9 November 2007 |access-date=9 November 2010 |publisher=SD-Kuriren |language=sv}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Söder |first=Björn |author-link=Björn Söder |date=3 August 2007 |title=Homosexlobbyn kräver, och homosexlobbyn får |trans-title=The gay sex lobby demands, and the gay sex lobby receives |url=http://www.sdkuriren.se/blog/index.php/soder/2007/08/03/homosexlobbyn_kraver_och_homosexlobbyn_f |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071109003023/http://www.sdkuriren.se/blog/index.php/soder/2007/08/03/homosexlobbyn_kraver_och_homosexlobbyn_f<!--Manually retrieved archive--> |archive-date=9 November 2007 |access-date=9 November 2010 |publisher=SD-Kuriren |language=sv}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Söder |first=Björn |author-link=Björn Söder |date=5 August 2007 |title=Kulmen nådd på perversiteterna |trans-title=The peak of the perversions reached |url=http://www.sdkuriren.se/blog/index.php/soder/2007/08/05/kulmen_nadd_pa_perversiteterna |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071109003047/http://www.sdkuriren.se/blog/index.php/soder/2007/08/05/kulmen_nadd_pa_perversiteterna<!--Manually retrieved archive--> |archive-date=9 November 2007 |access-date=9 November 2010 |publisher=SD-Kuriren |language=sv}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Söder |first=Björn |author-link=Björn Söder |date=5 August 2007 |title=Att kritisera det okritiserbara |trans-title=To criticise the uncriticisable |url=http://www.sdkuriren.se/blog/index.php/soder/2007/08/05/att_kritisera_det_okritiserbara |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071109003255/http://www.sdkuriren.se/blog/index.php/soder/2007/08/05/att_kritisera_det_okritiserbara<!--Manually retrieved archive--> |archive-date=9 November 2007 |access-date=9 November 2010 |publisher=SD-Kuriren |language=sv}}</ref> A blog post claiming [[Stockholm Pride]] sexualised young children and [[Societal attitudes toward homosexuality#Association with child sexual abuse and pedophilia|equating homosexuality with pedophilia]] titled {{Lang|sv|Botten måste snart vara nådd}} (Soon enough we'll hit rock bottom) was published by SD Party secretary [[Björn Söder]] on 1 August 2007.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sdkuriren.se/blog/index.php/soder/2007/08/01/botten_maste_snart_vara_nadd|title=Botten måste snart vara nådd|publisher=SD-Kuriren|date=1 August 2007|access-date=9 November 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071109002951/http://www.sdkuriren.se/blog/index.php/soder/2007/08/01/botten_maste_snart_vara_nadd<!--Manually retrieved archive-->|archive-date=9 November 2007|language=sv}}</ref> The post was widely criticised in the Swedish media as an attack on LGBT people.<ref>{{cite news |date=5 August 2007 |title=Hat-attacken mot Sveriges homosexuella |trans-title=The hateful attack against Sweden's homosexuals |url=https://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/a/l1nya9/hat-attacken-mot-sveriges-homosexuella |access-date=16 August 2010 |newspaper=Aftonbladet |language=sv |archive-date=14 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180814114704/https://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/a/l1nya9/hat-attacken-mot-sveriges-homosexuella |url-status=live }}</ref>

An unofficial [[pride parade]] called Pride Järva was organised by SD member and former party magazine editor Jan Sjunnesson in the Stockholm suburbs of [[Tensta]] and [[Husby, Stockholm|Husby]], two areas with large immigrant populations.<ref>{{cite news |title=Swedish Nationalists Plan Gay 'Pride' March Through Muslim Areas of Stockholm |url=https://www.haaretz.com/rightist-swedes-plan-gay-march-through-muslim-areas-of-stockholm-1.5378770 |access-date=27 January 2019 |work=Haaretz |date=25 July 2015 |language=en}}</ref> The event was disavowed by the official Stockholm Pride organisation and the [[Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights]]; in a joint statement both organisations called Sjunnesson "a person who's spreading hatred towards Muslims on social media [and] who's not supporting LGBT rights".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Naib |first1=Fatima |title=Sweden far-right plans gay parade in mainly Muslim area |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/07/sweden-farright-plans-gay-pride-muslim-area-lgbt-150728180328656.html |access-date=27 January 2019 |work=Al Jazeera |date=28 July 2015 |archive-date=28 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190128082846/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/07/sweden-farright-plans-gay-pride-muslim-area-lgbt-150728180328656.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Montelius |first1=Martina |title=Homonationalism – det rosa kriget |url=https://www.expressen.se/kultur/homonationalism--det-rosa-kriget/ |access-date=27 January 2019 |work=Expressen |date=14 April 2017 |language=sv |archive-date=28 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190128082748/https://www.expressen.se/kultur/homonationalism--det-rosa-kriget/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Approximately 30 people participated in Pride Järva, with a larger amount of LGBT and heterosexual anti-racist [[counter-protest]]ors arriving to oppose them.<ref name="vice jarva pride">{{cite news |last1=Pérez Borjas |first1=Weronika |title=Rainbows and Racism Marched Together in Sweden During LGBT Pride Week |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/sweden-jarva-pride-parade-immigration-protest/ |access-date=27 January 2019 |work=Vice |date=30 July 2016 |archive-date=28 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190128082730/https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/pp4k58/sweden-jarva-pride-parade-immigration-protest |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2014, the official [[Stockholm Pride]] voted to ban the SD from participating that year which was met with criticism from both within the party and from some opposition politicians who argued it was undemocratic.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thelocal.se/20140729/sweden-democrats-barred-from-stockholm-pride|title=Stockholm Pride bars Sweden Democrats|date=29 July 2014 |access-date=20 September 2023|archive-date=4 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231104012326/https://www.thelocal.se/20140729/sweden-democrats-barred-from-stockholm-pride|url-status=live}}</ref>

In recent years, the SD has shifted its stance to being more supportive of [[LGBT rights by country or territory#Northern Europe|LGBT rights]] and same-sex parenting by updating and expanding its policies regarding LGBT issues. In 2010, SD leader Jimmie Åkesson and party vice-president [[Carina Ståhl Herrstedt]] published an article apologizing for past [[homophobic]] statements made by party members and arguing that mass immigration risked eroding the rights of Sweden's gay community.<ref>[http://www.aftonbladet.se/debatt/debattamnen/jamstalldhet/article6866464.ab Aftonbladet, SD – ett parti för hbt-personer], publicerad 30 mars 2010</ref> In its current platform, the SD states "everyone must be treated equally, regardless of sexual orientation, and discrimination must be combated".<ref name="auto11">{{Cite web|url=https://sd.se/|title=Sveriges snabbast växande folkrörelse|website=Sverigedemokraterna|access-date=28 July 2015|archive-date=8 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150908210848/https://sd.se/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sd.se/our-politics/hbtq-personers-psykiska-halsa/|title=HBTQ personers psykiska hälsa|access-date=22 December 2020|archive-date=6 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210806150616/https://sd.se/our-politics/hbtq-personers-psykiska-halsa/|url-status=dead}}</ref> In a 2018 interview, SD member of the Riksdag and gender-equality spokesperson [[Paula Bieler]] stated that homophobes "are not welcome in our party".<ref>{{cite news |title=Europe's anti-immigrant parties are becoming more gay-friendly, partly as a way to bash Muslim immigrants |url=https://www.economist.com/europe/2018/07/05/europes-anti-immigrant-parties-are-becoming-more-gay-friendly |access-date=27 January 2019 |newspaper=The Economist |date=5 July 2018 |quote=Paula Bieler, gender-equality spokesperson of the xenophobic Sweden Democrats, says homophobes 'are not welcome in our party'. |archive-date=28 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190128030324/https://www.economist.com/europe/2018/07/05/europes-anti-immigrant-parties-are-becoming-more-gay-friendly |url-status=live }}</ref> Since 2018, the SD party program was updated to support same-sex adoption and parenting.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.svd.se/a/EonM0o/utvecklat-mina-varderingar-om-samkonad-adoption |title="Utvecklat mina värderingar om samkönad adoption" |work=Svenska Dagbladet |date=7 July 2018 |access-date=2025-01-13 |last1=Cederholm |first1=Stina }}</ref> In 2025, SD proposed constructing a statue in [[Örebro]], dedicated to [[Muhsin Hendricks]], the world’s first openly gay imam, who had been shot dead in his car in South Africa, to honour his work for the LGBTQI movement, as well as constructing a statue in [[Rinkeby]] to honour the rights of LGBTQI people in the area.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lundkvist |first=Oscar |date=2025-04-08 |title=Upprätta ett HBT-monument i Vivalla |url=https://www.sd.se/orebro/uppratta-ett-hbt-monument-i-vivalla/ |access-date=2025-04-12 |website=SD Örebro |language=sv-SE}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Järva |first=Nyhetsbyrån |date=2025-01-15 |title=Här vill SD uppföra ett HBTQ-monument |url=https://www.nyhetsbyranjarva.se/har-vill-sd-uppfora-ett-hbtq-monument/ |access-date=2025-04-12 |website=Nyhetsbyrån Järva |language=sv-SE}}</ref>

The SD supports [[gender-affirming surgery]] as long as the motive behind it is mental wellbeing and permission is given by a medical professional.<ref>{{cite web |title=HBTQ personers psykiska hälsa |url=https://sd.se/our-politics/hbtq-personers-psykiska-halsa/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210806150616/https://sd.se/our-politics/hbtq-personers-psykiska-halsa/ |archive-date=6 August 2021 |access-date=3 May 2020 |website=sd.se |publisher=Sweden democrats |language=sv |quote=För att genomgå en fysisk könskorrigering ska kravet vara psykisk stabilitet.}}</ref>