Gay Today: World

Norwegian Author Marries Her Girlfriend

By Rex Wockner
International News Report

Anne Holt

Norwegian best-selling author Anne Holt, 41, married her girlfriend, editor Tine Kjaer, Jan. 14 at the Norwegian embassy in Stockholm.

Norway's gay registered-partnership law grants nearly every right of matrimony except in a couple of areas related to children.

Holt, who is also a lawyer, was also Norway's justice minister from 1996 to 1997.

Until her marriage, Holt had refused to come out. In March of 1999 she told the newspaper Dagbladet: "For a long time, the Norwegian media has wanted me to say that I'm a lesbian. But that will never happen. Swedish, French and German newspapers have stated that I am a lesbian. But it has never come from my mouth. I don't give a damn about other people's private lives and they should not care about mine."

Following the wedding, Holt commented: "It's a pleasure for me to confirm that I got married on Friday. Getting married is a public event. Everything else is private and I will not comment on it."

Gay activists found Holt's attitude frustrating.

"Anne Holt has been asked about her sexual orientation numerous times. She has always answered that it is a private matter. But when she ... goes down the church steps with a white-clad bride by her side and afterward she still refuses to comment, it's laughable," said Arne Walderhaug, editor of the gay newspaper Blikk.

"It is a paradox to me that she registered her partnership at all," he said. "Anne Holt has never supported the gay-rights movement."

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Lise Blyverket, vice president of the National Organization for Gay Liberation (LLH), commented: "Anne Holt is not exactly the most positive supporter we have had in our work. ... We should not give her too much credit. What the gay movement needs is that as many [people] as possible come out."

LLH President Knut Sverre Roang added: "Privileged people like Anne Holt should have led and been honorable enough to come out with their orientation. Anne Holt has made it more difficult for others to come out by not having declared her orientation. This is not a good sign for young gays and lesbians around the country. They must now believe that it really is difficult to come out of the closet."