Samtökin ‘78 - The National Queer Organization of Iceland
Interview with Álfur Birkir Bjarnason, president of Samtökin ‘78
Article: Sindri Snær Jónsson & Lísa Margrét Gunnarsdóttir
Translation: Victoria Bakshina
Photo: Stúdentablaðið
Samtökin´78, the National Queer Organization of Iceland, is an interest association that protects the rights and welfare of queer people in Iceland, and is a leading force in queer education in Iceland. The organization was founded in 1978, and has grown considerably since then, especially in the last decade. The Student Paper spoke with the newly elected chairman of the organization, Álfur Birkir Bjarnason, and discussed their work and the services they offer.
Dedicated to supporting, educating and advocating for queer people in Iceland, the organization's role is diverse.
Our operations are quite extensive, and the demand for our services increases from year to year. We take on a lot of projects considering our funding, and when we meet people who are part of our sister-organizations in Norway and Sweden, they are quite shocked to hear how little funding we have considering the range of our work. We only have 5 members of staff at our office, and we hire contractors to educate and counsel. We do feel a shift with the government, though - this year we were included in the government’s fiscal budget for the first time, the Parliament usually adds us to the budget later on. Financial support from common citizens is also increasing, and we really feel like society is beginning to realize how much we’re really doing. All of our projects are growing, and they demand time, manpower, and funding like never before.
Asked about the government’s policy regarding queer matters, Álfur says that much has changed in the last three years.
The Act on Gender Autonomy was a step in the right direction, and this spring the government established an LGBTQIA+ Action Programme, which involves going through regulations within ministries - they don’t automatically change even though gender autonomy is now protected by law. The Action Programme is far from perfect, and we had a lot of comments, but the fact that this exists is important, that this step is being taken. Now that the government as well as the Parliament has declared that they want to do well in these matters, the next step is to look into how that goal can be reached, how we can help and how they can help us. This way, we are able to assist governing bodies in shaping a responsible policy regarding queer matters, by regularly updating this Action Programme, where we and other organizations can have a say in things.
Since Álfur became president of Samtökin ‘78 this spring, he says that the need for educating children and young adults has made itself clear.
We’ve seen a massive surge in hate speech from many different places in society - one of them being children around the age of 13-15. We feel it is pivotal to really emphasize education in elementary schools. It’s important to reach parents, the children themselves and teachers, and educate people on what diversity entails and how we can support each other, as well as helping teachers tackle bullying and hate speech. Aside from our regular services, we’re working on contracts with elementary schools around the country. This way we can reach a diverse age group, children and staff alike, and we also offer assistance with difficult matters, where we show up and help teachers and parents to deal with them.
Aside from educating the public, Álfur says that creating a sense of community for children and adults is an important part of the organization’s operations.
We’re seeing an increase in adults seeking our services, people who maybe realized they were queer in the middle of a lockdown, and didn’t meet a single queer person for two years! An important aspect of our services is to provide a place where people can come together, and we have a book club and a sewing and knitting club where people can come and meet each other. We also run a community center for young adults, who are in the process of finding themselves and can do so together - it’s beautiful to see 150 people meeting and being weird together!
Álfur encourages people to check out the diverse resources Samtökin ‘78 has to offer.
For those wondering whether they might be queer, it can help to talk to someone who’s talked to dozens of queer people. People come out of the closet on their own terms, and that conversation can help. We also offer counseling for people who want to know their rights or report violence they’ve been subjected to, and we help people navigate the system.
You can see all the colors of the rainbow in Icelandic on the page Queer from Ö to A (otila.is), there you can read about all kinds of sexual orientations, gender identity and gender expression. The organization also runs social centers for 10- to 12-year-olds, 13- to 15-year-olds, 16- to 18-year-olds, and youth centers for 18-to 25 year-olds. Those who wish to participate in the youth work of Queer Youth (HinUng) can come to Suðurgata 3 at 19:30 every other Sunday. You can read more about the youth work available on Samtökin´78 website. There you can also find out how to become a Rainbow friend (Regnbogavinur) and donate to the organization every month to support their continued work. There are also regular open events, such as book clubs and courses, organized by Samtökin´78, which are advertised on Facebook. “You don't have to be openly queer to come and enjoy these events. The main requirement is to be nice and show others respect.”