Vem kan känna sig välkommen i Svenska kyrkans församlingar? : En kvalitativ studie om Svenska kyrkans arbete med hbtq-frågor

Sammanfattning: The aim of this study is to get a picture of how communities in the Swedish church, more precisely in Växjö diocese, work with LGBTQ questions. Furthermore, this study pays attention to the different factors that might have affected this work over the years, and I will also investigate if the work with LGBTQ questions differ between the communities I have picked for this study. To conduct this study, a qualitative method is used in form of semi-structured interviews. This study uses Goffman’s theory of stigma, as well as Foucault’s theory of power, as a theoretical framework to analyse the collected data. The result shows that although there are no specific guidelines in how the communities are supposed to work with the LGBTQ questions, work is underway in the diocese of Växjö. For instance, in connection to the annual Pride-festival, the communities try to engage themselves by showing that there is an acceptance towards LGBTQ-persons within the Swedish church. The result also shows that there are some specific factors that affect the work related to LGBTQ questions, such as the fact that gay marriages are legal by law in Sweden.