– Really? You address your Prime Minster by her first name? Mr Gay Europe 2018 Enrique Doleschy got a crash course in Norwegian etiquette this summer.
At the end of his reign, Enrique Doleschy, Mr Gay Europe 2018, went to Oslo, Norway for a meeting with the Norwegian Prime Minister.
As part of Pride week in Oslo, the Norwegian government has made it a tradition to invite LGBT+ activists and representatives from the LGBT+ community to a pride reception at the official residence of the Prime Minister.
This year was no exception, and Prime mister Erna Solberg (The Conservative Party) and her minister of culture and equality Trine Skei Grande (The Liberal Party) hosted this year’s event.
Enrique met with the Prime Minister during the reception and was surprised by her interest in the competition and the way you could become a Mr Gay Europe.
– There has been achieved so many positive and good things, but the fight continues all around Europe, the Prime Minister commented.
Enrique was able to inform Erna about his year as titleholder and was somewhat astonished that you in Norway are on first name terms, even with the Prime Minister.
When the governmental positions were rearranged earlier this year, Trine Skei Grande asked to be the Minister of Equality.
– I have such a big heart for the cause and I love to work with this subject, the minister told the guests at the reception. She also took the time to have a chat with Enrique and asked him to keep on fighting for the cause.
There were also quite a few celebrities and sports profiles at the reception. Enrique had the pleasure to met up with ski athlete Stian Grastveit who held a moving speech about his coming out, and the handball players and married couple Gro and Anja Hammerseng-Edin, who among a lot of other things is the first lesbian couple to ever be on the cover of a Norwegian woman’s magazine.
– It was such a nice experience and I really like how the people I met at the reception asked about the competition and not assumed it is just another beauty competition.
After the reception most of the guest went on to the opening of this year’s Pride Park in the centre of Oslo.
Enrique also met with Gro and Anja Hammerseng-Edin, handball athletes and married couple.
Ski athlete Stian Grastveit gave a moving speach on his coming out as a sports profile on a national level.
The Minister of Culture and Equality, Trine Skei Grand and Mr Gay Europe 2018 Enrique Doleschy in Oslo.