On June 7, the Dream Festival will be held at Evenew Arena Frihamnen.

The Rainbow Fund is a partner of the Dream Festival and will be present under the concept: Love Freely with Dream. Our ambassador Linnea Claesson will be with us, and we will be hosting activities on-site. QX and Stockholm Pride will also participate during the day. We look forward to seeing you there!

Tickets can be purchased at:

The 2025 Rainbow Award has been presented to human rights advocate Friedel Dausab from Namibia. In the summer of 2024, he won the legal battle that led to the abolition of Namibia’s colonial-era sodomy laws and the decriminalization of homosexual acts in the country. The award and the prize sum of 100,000 SEK were presented by Siw Malmkvist during the Rainbow Gala, which took place at Intiman in Stockholm last night.

Sex between men has been banned in Namibia since colonial times. This prohibition has contributed to the discrimination of LGBTQ people, and over the years, there have been multiple cases of murder and harassment. The public debate has often sunk to a level where LGBTQ individuals have been accused of being “satanic” and “demonic.”

In 2022, Friedel Dausab—then director of the LGBTQ organization Outright Namibia—challenged the country’s sodomy law in court. After a two-year legal process, the Supreme Court of Namibia ruled in his favor.

In June 2024, the Supreme Court struck down the sodomy law, declaring it unjust, discriminatory, and unconstitutional. The judges further stated that the criminalization of gay men posed a threat to the cohesion of society as a whole.

It is with great joy that the Rainbow Fund awards the 2025 Rainbow Award and 100,000 SEK to Friedel Dausab for his historic and groundbreaking contribution.

“It is a great honor for me to receive the Rainbow Award as recognition of my efforts to decolonize sexuality and create greater safety and dignity for many gay men like myself. Because of the law, we lived in fear of arrest and imprisonment. This is also a time of great uncertainty, as the international relationships and legal protections we have relied on for our safety are under threat globally. I hope this award gives me the platform to speak to decision-makers and continue supporting efforts for equality, safety, and dignity for LGBTQ people around the world,” said award recipient Friedel Dausab.

Friedel Dausab became an activist 25 years ago after testing positive for HIV. Since then, he has worked to change both legislation and attitudes toward HIV and homosexuality—both in society at large and, as is often the case in Africa, within the church.

Friedel Dausab is currently the Head of Security at Positive Vibes, an African organization working to combat HIV.

The 2025 Rainbow Award was presented by Siw Malmkvist during the Rainbow Gala at Intiman on Monday evening. Peter Jöback and Lars Winnerbäck performed at the gala, which was hosted by Mark Levengood and Jonas Gardell.

Last year, the first Rainbow Gala was held, where the newly established Rainbow Award was presented to NC SOS for their fight to help homosexuals escape death and humiliation in the North Caucasus. Darin, Lisa Nilsson, and Lisa Ekdahl performed. Mark & Jonas hosted. It was a huge success filled with laughter and tears, goosebumps and cheers. Now it’s time for this year’s Rainbow Gala. April 7 at 7 PM at Intiman in Stockholm. Mark and Jonas reunite for a one-of-a-kind evening unlike any other gala. Beloved artists Lasse Winnerbäck and Peter Jöback will perform. The Rainbow Award of 100,000 SEK will be presented to an activist or organization fighting for LGBTQ rights and freedoms. It will be an unforgettable night. One night only. Tickets available at showtic.se

På FN-dagen lanserar vi tillsammans med Prinsparets Stiftelse en ny modul på Lajka med fokus på HBTQI+-frågor – “Från hat till hopp.

Denna modul riktar sig till högstadie- och gymnasielärare och belyser den utsatthet som unga hbtqi-personer ofta upplever på nätet. Målet är att ge lärare de verktyg de behöver för att känna sig trygga i att ta upp, diskutera och fördjupa förståelsen för frågor som rör unga hbtqi-personer och deras utsatthet online.

Enligt MUCF rapport "Jag är inte ensam" anger unga hbtqi-personer att de mottar mer kränkningar på nätet jämfört med andra unga, och de rapporterar ofta om en försämrad psykisk hälsa till följd av detta. Det understryker behovet av att stärka vuxnas stöd och kunskap för att skydda dessa unga i deras digitala vardag.

Vi vill rikta ett stort tack till Svenska Postkodlotteriets stiftelse för medel och stöd som gjort denna viktiga satsning möjlig!

The Rainbow Fund and the Prince Couple’s Foundation are starting a collaboration for a safer online environment for young LGBTQI people. Research shows that young LGBTQI individuals feel less safe online compared to hetero-cis youth and are more exposed to threats and bullying. Yesterday, we officially launched the collaboration with a joint morning event at the palace. We discussed the living conditions and inclusion of LGBTQI youth, the challenges they face, and how we can work together for change.

This collaboration is made possible thanks to support from the Swedish Postcode Lottery Foundation. As part of the project, the Rainbow Fund will collaborate with other civil society organizations and address societal challenges affecting young LGBTQI individuals.

Many gay men have experience of being raped by another man, but few dare to report it. According to Kalla Fakta's latest review, several men testify about their experiences of sexual abuse, but that they did not dare or weren't able to report it due to fear of what their friends and family would think of them. Many talk about a culture of silence that ridicules and shames survivors.

- I haven't heard similar stories from my gay friends, because it's not something we talk about, says Shaun.

According to Kalla Fakta's survey, 65% of 400 respondents state that they have been exposed to some type of sexual abuse, but that only 1 in 10 survivors choose to report it. Of those who report, only a handful are actually convicted of sexually assaulting another man. Kalla Fakta estimates that approximately 250 reports are made each year.

The interviews also show that many blame themselves or don't realize that they have been assaulted in the first place because it is so normalized.

- Pretty much all young gay guys have been exposed to some form of sexual abuse. It's so common that we don't even understand it ourselves. It's so common that we don't even define it as abuse. We think that's the way it should be, says Rainbow Foundation's Jonas Gardell.

"The invisible children"

For several years, the Rainbow Foundation, in collaboration with World Childhood Foundation, has worked to raise awareness for sexual abuse against boys. Boys who are subjected to sexual abuse are usually not included in legislation and therefore do not appear in statistics concerning sexual abuse. Sexual abuse against boys is also treated as less serious, which means that many do not dare to report it.

Even rainbow children (i.e. children whose identity is included under the lgbtqi umbrella) are particularly vulnerable as many have no choice but to turn to adult and sexualized environments due to a lack of inclusive environments for children.

-I myself was exposed to sexual abuse as a child, and almost all gay guys I know have such experiences, says Jonas Gardell, co-founder for the Rainbow Foundation. It is so common that we consider it normal.

"De Osynliga Barnen" [The invisible children] is a collaborative project between the Rainbow Foundation and World Childhood Foundation that aims to break the silence around sexual abuse by funding preventative efforts, providing support to those who have been affected and creating a platform for individuals and organizations to act together against sexual abuse.

At the first Rainbow Gala held in 2024, NC SOS was named the winner and received the award from H.M. Princess Christina, Mrs. Magnuson. Since 2017, LGBTQ+ people in the Russian republic of the Northern Caucasus have been persecuted by death squads, and many have been imprisoned, disappeared, or killed. NC SOS helps persecuted LGBTQ+ individuals escape to a safer part of Russia or another country. They also assist with asylum applications and support during the initial period in the new country.

The Rainbow Fund is now establishing the RAINBOW AWARD, worth 100,000 SEK, to recognize and reward activists and/or organizations that fight for the freedom and rights of LGBTQI people, in Sweden or globally. The Rainbow Award is the largest Swedish prize created in support of the LGBTQI community and will be awarded for the first time at the newly established RAINBOW GALA at the Scalateatern in Stockholm on April 15th this spring.

The Rainbow Fund invites you to a magical evening featuring fantastic artists like Darin, Lisa Nilsson, and Lisa Ekdahl with her band, plus one or two surprises. The gala is hosted by Mark & Jonas and takes place at the Scalateatern on Monday, April 15th. Hurry up to secure your tickets!

Aaron is an award-winning inspirer, leader and speaker on the topic of diversity and inclusion. He has over 20 years of experience in leading cultural and organizational change work at large companies such as Vattenfall, ICA and Schibsted.

Aaron himself says: "My leadership has always, and always will, aim to make a real difference, and that's exactly what the Rainbow Foundation does. Difference. To passively stand by and witness discrimination, persecution and violence against LGBTQI people around if in the world is simply not an option for me. I am proud and happy to take a seat on an already eminent board, and I look forward to being able to contribute unique insights, experiences and networks."

Welcome to the Rainbow Foundation Aaron! 🏳️‍🌈

The Rainbow Foundation grants support to Rainbow Refugees. Applying for asylum in Sweden is a demanding process. Rainbow Refugees empowers and supports rainbow people who have fled persecution and discrimination in their home countries. They create meetings for social contexts and provide support before and through the asylum process. The Rainbow Foundation has granted support to Rainbow Refugees so that in 2024 they can continue to create these important meetings and be a pillar of support for rainbow people seeking protection in Sweden. The contribution will also go towards food, clothing and housing for those who are most vulnerable.