Samtökin ´78 – The National Queer Organization of Iceland
Samtökin ‘78 is the national queer organization of Iceland. The organization was founded on May 9 1978, and has from the beginning worked towards the improved rights of LGBTI people and increased visibility in Icelandic society. When founded, it was only for ‘hómósexúal’ people, but has since opened its arms and now welcomes all queer people in Iceland. Since Samtökin ‘78 was founded, Icelandic LGBTI people have seen radical improvements in legal rights, visibility and societal acceptance.
Queer people are a diverse group, with a communality in challenging society’s norms for gender identity, sexual orientation and sex characteristics. The queer movement therefore has deep common threads with the women’s rights movement. In addition, of course, a large part of our community are women and non-binary people. The same systems oppress both women and LGBTI people. The queer movement and the women’s rights movement both oppose society’s ideas on how people should lead their lives based on gender – and how acceptable it is deemed to break these restrictive norms.
The year 1975 also marks a watershed moment in Icelandic queer history. In the same year that Icelandic women striked and demanded equal rights, Hörður Torfason was the first Icelandic person to publicly come out as gay in an interview with the magazine Samúel.
Samtökin ‘78 advocate for equal rights in all spheres of society, and provide extensive education and trainings on queer issues. The organization also provides councelling and support for queer people, their families and friends, as well as professionals. Finally, Samtökin ‘78 is a place for the community to come together, with events for people of all ages.