The rainbow flag in uniform

Försvarsmakten, the Swedish armed forces, has since 2017 posted LGBTQ+ content during Pride on their Instagram account. This sparks the question if Försvarsmaktens portrayal of social injustices are fair enough or if they contribute to maintain traditional gender norms, such as the fact that men often have professions in leadership while women have professions in care (Ellemers, 2018). This essay examines how they portray LGBTQ+ symbolism and individuals through a semiotic analysis. It also aims to analyze and give understanding if they challenge or contribute to gender stereotypes and norms in society. Through a qualitative method with usage of different theories, such as representation theory, framing theory and queer theory we were able to detect different qualities in Försvarsmaktens campaign pictures. In addition to the theoretical aspects, the essay analyzes different imagery compositions such as camera angles to see how it might affect the core message of portrayal of LGBTQ+. The result showed that Försvarsmakten portrayed themselves as an inclusive institution that stands up for LGBTQ+ rights and equality. The analysis of the campaign pictures came to the same conclusion as they portrayed concepts of diversity, acceptance and inclusivity.