"I want to give all my collegues courage and pride"

The Swedish Rescue Services Agency and Stockholm's Fire and Rescue Service held a seminar on Thursday about the situation for woment and LGBT people's situation within the fire department.  The premise at Pride House was packed with people and Henry Linnsén used this special day  to sieze the opportunity to come out.

- Had it not been for this year's special effort at Pride I would not have been here in front of you today.
Henry Linnsén, fire engineer at Stockholm's Fire and Rescue Service, talked about his experience of not being able to be out at his workplace. 
- When I got questions about what I had done during the weekend I would have to change the truth a abit, simply lie. The jargon at my workplace has made it impossible for me to show who I am.  
He celebrates Pride but would like to focus on what hapens at the workplace in people's everyday life.

The first fire truck in the Parade

This year is the first time that staff from the rescue services participates at Pride. It is an effort made by the Swedish Rescue Services Agency that has just begun and the ambition is to increase the diversity within all parts of the rescue services. This is something that has proved to be very difficult. The work towards equality started 15 years ago but today there is not a single woman at Stockholm's fire defence.
- I always get asked questions regarding what it is like to be a woman in such a male dominated environment. It is getting somewhat tiredsome but I can only answer that I try to be a role model for other women, Cecilia Uneram, chief of Västra Sörmlands Rescue Services.

A responsibility for the people in charge

Göran Gunnarsson is the director general at the The Swedish Rescue Services Agency. 
- It is the responsibilty of thechief to make sure that we work with these questions. I believe that the term "coming out of the closet" is problematic. It should not be required of people to come out, it should be us that opens the door for them. 
He also said that the macho culture that exists within the rescue services is a question of the environment at work. 
-One should of course enjoy one's workplace, no matter of sexuality, gender or ethnic background.

The begining of a long process

 The chief of Stockholm's Fire Defence, Jan Wisén, talked about the importance of working with diversity within the organization. He added that the rescue service is there to help everybody and that it also needs to be open for everyone. On the question of why the Fire Defence has not started to work with LGBT-questions yet he openly criticized the organization.
- I am not proud to be the chief of an organization with so little diversity. We belong to an organization weighted by traditional ideals. I want to press the fact that we actually have started now.
Göran adds that it is important that this is not a one-time event.
- I do not like projects since they have a beginning and end.  It is really important that this work continous and deepens.