Mission statement

The branch should pursue political work, information work, social work and supporting work for homosexuals, bisexuals, trans people and people with queer expressions and identities.

This work should be consistent with RFSL’s guiding principles, RFSL’s statutes, decisions made by RFSL’s congress and other steering documents.

Basic values

RFSL Göteborg is a member- and community based organisation. The basis of RFSL’s work are the principles and standpoints that the members have voted on in democratic processes. Non-profit work is the most important work for RFSL. The overall aim of RFSL’s work is to improve the overall situation for LGBTQ people in Sweden and internationally.

RFSL Göteborg is politically and religiously impartial. This does not prevent cooperation with, or distancing from, communities, parties or organisations in questions of fact. The religious impartiality also should not lead to people with their own personal faith feeling less welcome within RFSL.

RFSL Göteborg commits to and bases its work on:

Solidarity

Solidarity as a method should be a basis for the work within RFSL. This is because RFSL takes a stand for all peoples human rights and recognizes that the mechanisms behind discrimination are similar regardless of whether it’s about discrimination based on gender, gender identity, gender expression, ethnicity, religious belief or other personal conviction, disability, age or sexual orientation. Discrimination because of gender, gender identity and gender expression is tied to discrimination because of sexual orientation and vice versa. Rights should not be gained at someone else’s expense. The political and educative work that RFSL does is ultimately about questioning and changing ideas and norms that lead to discrimination, from a norm critical perspective.

Anti rasism

Anti rasism is about a conscious awareness that norms regarding whiteness, ethnicity and religion lead to prejudice and discrimination, and lead to some people having greater power and room for action than others. These structures work in all of society, as well as inside and outside the LGBTQ community. Anti rasism is about actively taking a stand against racism, to define what different shapes racism can take and to actively prevent and work against racism in all its forms.

Feminism

Feminism is an overall awareness that there are a large number of factors that work together and lead to men and what is viewed as masculine generally is favored at the expense of women and what is viewed as feminine. Feminist work is about making visible the patriarchal structures, gender systems and norms, questioning them and doing something about them.

Norm analysis

Norm analysis is about putting focus on power. RFSL Göteborg feels that the work for equal rights- and opportunities should be based on a norm critical perspective to lead to real change. Discrimination and harassment are closely linked to the norms of a society. The purpose of applying a norm critical perspective is to make visible, problematize and change the ideas and norms that discriminating structures are based on. The emphasis is on showing the privileges that some are given in a power structure. Norm analysis should be permeated by an intersectional viewpoint and make visible how different discriminating structures, for example the ethnic power order or the gender power order, interact and reinforce each other.

Intersectionality

Within RFSL Göteborg we work actively with erasing borders between different social categories in order to focus on how different power orders work. We want to broaden the understanding of discrimination and oppression to show that the legislation isn’t enough to guarantee the respect for all people’s equal worth.

These values should permeate all work and political work within the branch. All those who are active within the branch should know about them and follow them.