Samtökin '78

Samtökin '78, officially The National Queer Organisation in English,^[1] is the national queer organisation of Iceland and non-governmental organization dedicated to the interest and rights of LGBTQ people in Iceland. The organisation provides education about LGBTQIA+ related matters, counselling and legal consultation for queer people in addition to running a youth club for young people that identify as queer and hosting open houses once a week intended for queer people and their allies.^[2][3]

Organisation

The first chairperson of the group was Guðni Baldursson [is].^[4] As of March 2022, the chairperson of the organization was Álfur Birkir, succeeding Þorbjörg Þorvaldsdóttir.^[5] In April 2022, the organisation had four employees.^[6][7] As of 2020, it also had ten contractors.^[8] As of 2018, the group's executive director was Daníel E. Arnarsson [is].^[1]

The organisation receives funding from the government for providing education, consultation, and services.^[9][10] In 2017, the national government of Iceland granted them 6 million Icelandic króna (ISK). This was doubled to a grant of 12 million in 2018. They then received a grant of 15 million ISK in 2019.^[9] In 2020, it came to an agreement with the government of Reykjavík to receive 8.7 million ISK annually, for three years.^[7]

The organisation has a number of partnered groups that it collaborates with. These include Hinsegin dagar [is], HIN – Hinsegin Norðurland [is], Trans Ísland, Intersex Ísland [is], Q – félag hinsegin stúdenta [is] (the affiliated queer students' organisation), BDSM á Íslandi [is], Hinsegin kórinn [is], and Íþróttafélagið Styrmir [is]. At least some of these, such as the students' group that was founded in 1999, operated as independent subgroups within Samtökin '78.^[11][12]

History

Samtökin '78 - The National Organisation for Lesbians and Gay Men in Iceland was founded on May 2, 1978 primarily by Hörður Torfason as a scene for the social life of gay people and the fight for gay rights in Iceland.^{[4][13][14][15]} Its name and original rulebook were inspired by that of Forbundet af 1948, a Danish organisation that was also named after the year it was founded.^[16][14] At founding, the group had twenty members who were all men. However, a number of women joined in the first year, and the amount of gay men and lesbians eventually became about equal.^[14]

The first declaration published by the group stated, "We, lesbians and gay men in Iceland, want to share our knowledge with other homosexuals, to strengthen their understanding of themselves, and to encourage them to strengthen their self-respect. We want to increase awareness of our situation in the society at large so people will understand that we are a normal part of society. We want to enjoy the full ethical and legal rights; without discrimination, but we don't ask for special treatment."^[14]

In March 1978, the organisation was denied publication of an advertisement for its meeting by the national radio service, RÚV.^[17][14] The group lobbied for usage of their preferred terms for "lesbians" and "gays" ("lesbíur" and "hommar"), as opposed to the derogatory phrase "kynvillingar", which meant "sexual deviants", that the radio service would have required them to use in order to publish an advertisement.^[17][18][14] The national radio service then argued that they should use "proper Icelandic" rather than language that "violates popular taste and decency" if they wished to publish an advertisement. This debate continued for years.^[14]

Samtökin '78 orchestrated a campaign to bring wider visibility to gay people in Iceland, staging meetings and debates about gay and lesbian topics.^[13][19] Before the existence of the organisation, gay people were rarely discussed in Iceland.^[14] The first public protests held by the organisation took place in 1982, in Reykjavík. They were supported by gay rights organisations in other Nordic countries.^[16]

During the HIV/AIDS crisis in Iceland, there was a split in the organisation between some of its gay men and lesbians due to the focus on HIV-related issues at that time. A splinter group for lesbians called Íslensk Lesbíska was formed. According to Thorvaldur Kristinsson, who had been the chairperson of the organisation at that time, "What happened here was, as far as I understand, somewhat opposite to what happened in the [United States], where the AIDS crisis brought men and women together. The girls [here] complained repeatedly about being left behind. They didn’t participate, they couldn't involve themselves in the AIDS work. They didn’t sense the fear and desperation that we did."^[20] At that time, the organisation was involved with educating people on the topic of HIV/AIDS, including its own membership.^[19]

In 1992 the organisation allowed bisexual people to join, and in 2007 transgender people were also welcomed. Subsequently the organisation changed its name to Samtökin '78 - The National Queer Organisation of Iceland.^[21] Torfason left the group in 1993, and later criticised aspects of the group.^[1] The group helped to legalise gay civil unions in Iceland.^[22] In 1996, the group organised a celebration of the first gay couples to receive registered civil unions in the country. The event was supported by the government of Reykjavík and attended by many notable Icelandic figures such as presidential candidates, religious leaders, and celebrities.^[23]

In 2010, the group granted a human rights award to the Church of Iceland after 111 religious leaders signed an article supporting gay marriage.^[24] In August 2015, the organisation ran a contest called Hýryrði 2015 (Queer Words 2015) attempting to translate sixteen LGBT+ phrases into the Icelandic language. The results were announced on Icelandic Language Day.^[25][18] The contest has since then been held every year.^[26] In 2015, the group experienced a conflict with the Church of Iceland about whether ministers should be able to refuse to approve a gay marriage.^[27][28] That year, the organisation held educational lectures at 29 of Iceland's schools.^[29][30]

In 2020, they released a survey of LGBT youth reporting their experiences with harassment and assault.^[31][32][33] In June 2021, they awarded a badge to former Prime Minister of Iceland Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir as the first openly gay head of government in the world.^[34] In September 2021, the group assessed each of Iceland's political parties' platforms, based on how thoroughly they addressed LGBT issues.^[35] As of 2021, the group also compiled data on suspected hate crimes in Iceland, in the absence of officially collected statistics by the national government. The group has lobbied for the government to collect this information and to create a program to prevent these incidents from occurring.^[36]

See also

• LGBT rights in Iceland

References

1. Fontaine, Andie Sophia (29 June 2018). "The March Of Progress: The National Queer Organisation Turns 40". The Reykjavík Grapevine. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
2. "Reykjanesbær styrkir samtökin '78" [Reykjanesbær sponsors the association '78]. Víkurfréttir (in Icelandic). 5 November 2020. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
3. "Foreigners Welcome At Queer Organisation Open House Tonight". The Reykjavík Grapevine. Gay Iceland. 10 December 2015. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
4. Hansson, Gunnar; Gunnarsdóttir, Guðrún (8 September 2020). Einarsdóttir, Júlía Margrét (ed.). "Enginn vildi hlusta á "kynvillingatónlist"". RÚV (in Icelandic). Retrieved 21 April 2022.
5. Albertsson, Þórgnýr Einar (6 March 2022). "Álfur Birkir nýr formaður Samtakanna 78" [Álfur Birkir new chairman of the Association 78]. RÚV (in Icelandic). Retrieved 21 April 2022.
6. "Álfur Birkir's vision for Samtökin '78: "We need to get to work"". Gay Iceland. 5 April 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
7. Rögnvaldsson, Freyr (4 December 2020). "Borgin semur við Samtökin '78" [The city agrees with Samtökin '78]. Stundin (in Icelandic). Retrieved 21 April 2022.
8. Jóhannsdóttir, Hildur Margrét (30 September 2020). ""Uppsagnirnar eru algjör varúðarráðstöfun"" ["The redundancies are a precautionary measure"]. RÚV (in Icelandic). Retrieved 21 April 2022.
9. Kyzer, Larissa (8 February 2019). "Samtökin '78 Receives ISK 15 Million for Outreach and Education". Iceland Review. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
10. Josephson, Jyl (2012). "Gender Equality and Trans Issues in Iceland". APSA 2012 Annual Meeting Paper. Rochester, NY: 4. SSRN 2108934 – via Social Science Research Network.
11. Josephson, Jyl; Einarsdóttir, Þorgerður; Sigurðardóttir, Svandís Anna (December 2017). "Queering the trans: Gender and sexuality binaries in Icelandic trans, queer, and feminist communities". European Journal of Women's Studies. 24 (1): 70–84. doi:10.1177/1350506815625694. ISSN 1350-5068. S2CID 55534362.
12. Sólveigar- Guðmundsdóttir, Linda (1 August 2018). "Exclusionary moments: Queer desires and migrants' sense of (un)belonging". Emotion, Space and Society. 28: 32–38. doi:10.1016/j.emospa.2018.06.003. ISSN 1755-4586. S2CID 240328898.
13. Kjaran, Jón Ingvar; Jóhannesson, Ingólfur Ásgeir (1 October 2013). "Manifestations of Heterosexism in Icelandic Upper Secondary Schools and the Responses of LGBT Students". Journal of LGBT Youth. 10 (4): 351–372. doi:10.1080/19361653.2013.824373. ISSN 1936-1653. S2CID 144503404.
14. Rydström, Jens; Mustola, Kati (2007). Criminally Queer : Homosexuality and Criminal Law in Scandinavia 1842-1999. Aksant Academic Publishers. pp. 34, 118, 135, 138. doi:10.26530/oapen_353810. hdl:20.500.12657/34830. ISBN 978-90-5260-245-5.
15. Aldrich, Robert; Wotherspoon, Garry (28 October 2020). Who's Who in Contemporary Gay and Lesbian History. Routledge. p. 406. ISBN 978-1-000-10075-4. ...Samtökin '78, which was formally established on 2 May 1978.
16. Thorhallsson, Baldur (3 October 2018). Small States and Shelter Theory: Iceland's External Affairs. Routledge. p. 118. ISBN 978-0-429-87180-1.
17. Rydström, Jens (2011), "The road to registered partnership", Odd Couples, A History of Gay Marriage in Scandinavia, Amsterdam University Press, pp. 39–68, ISBN 978-90-5260-381-0, JSTOR j.ctt6wp6dm.5, retrieved 22 April 2022
18. Friðriksson, Finnur (22 June 2017). "Research on language and gender in Iceland: History and current trends". HumaNetten (38). University of Akureyri: 7–24. doi:10.15626/hn.20173802. hdl:20.500.11815/2613. ISSN 1403-2279 – via Opin vísindi.
19. Kjaran, Jón Ingvar (20 February 2017). Constructing Sexualities and Gendered Bodies in School Spaces: Nordic Insights on Queer and Transgender Students. Springer. pp. 68–69. ISBN 978-1-137-53333-3.
20. Rydström, Jens (February 2008). "Legalizing Love in a Cold Climate: The History, Consequences and Recent Developments of Registered Partnership in Scandinavia". Sexualities. 11 (1–2): 193–226. doi:10.1177/1363460707085470. ISSN 1363-4607. S2CID 144912045.
21. "Samtökin '78 - Hinsegin frá Ö til A". Hinsegin frá Ö til A (in Icelandic). Retrieved 21 April 2018.
22. Myers, JoAnne (20 August 2009). The A to Z of the Lesbian Liberation Movement: Still the Rage. Scarecrow Press. p. 219. ISBN 978-0-8108-6327-9.
23. Einarsdóttir, Anna (October 2013). "They married for love but keep it quiet: Same sex partners in Iceland". Sexualities. 16 (7): 788–806. doi:10.1177/1363460713497213. ISSN 1363-4607. S2CID 147006516.
24. Eriksson, Anne-Louise; Gunner, Goran; Blader, Niclas (8 November 2012). Exploring a Heritage: Evangelical Lutheran Churches in the North. Wipf and Stock Publishers. p. 113. ISBN 978-1-62032-102-7.
25. Fontaine, Andie Sophia (6 August 2015). "Icelanders In Search Of Neologisms For LGBTQAI+ Contexts". The Reykjavík Grapevine. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
26. Kyzer, Larissa (19 February 2022). "Icelandic Sign Language Adopts Four New LGBTQIA+ Signs". Iceland Review. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
27. Guðbrandsdóttir, Kristjana Björg; Sigurbjörnsson, Stefán Rafn (24 September 2015). "Samtökin 78 vilja fara í mál vegna kirkjunnar" [Samtökin 78 wants to sue because of the church]. Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 21 April 2022.
28. Benjamin, Gabríel (9 October 2015). "Refusing Your Rights With A Clean Conscience". The Reykjavík Grapevine. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
29. Kjaran, Jón Ingvar; Lehtonen, Jukka (3 October 2018). "Windows of opportunities: Nordic perspectives on sexual diversity in education". International Journal of Inclusive Education. 22 (10): 1035–1047. doi:10.1080/13603116.2017.1414319. hdl:20.500.11815/1889. ISSN 1360-3116. S2CID 149119857.
30. Kjaran, Jón Ingvar; Lehtonen, Jukka (2020), Francis, Dennis A.; Kjaran, Jón Ingvar; Lehtonen, Jukka (eds.), "Educational Outreach Work in Nordic Countries: Challenges, Tensions, and Contradictions for Queering Schools and Teaching About Sexual and Gender Diversity", Queer Social Movements and Outreach Work in Schools: A Global Perspective, Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 15–37, doi:10.1007/978-3-030-41610-2_2, ISBN 978-3-030-41610-2, S2CID 216201419, retrieved 22 April 2022
31. Kyzer, Larissa (16 August 2020). "One in Twenty LGBTQIA+ Students Have Been Physically Assaulted". Iceland Review. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
32. Eyjólfsson, Magnús Geir (15 August 2020). "Verða fyrir líkamsárásum vegna kynhneigðar" [Physical assault due to sexual orientation]. RÚV (in Icelandic). Retrieved 21 April 2022.
33. Jónsdóttir, Hallgerður Kolbrún E.; Sigurðardóttir, Elísabet Inga (15 August 2020). "Einn af hverjum tuttugu hinsegin nemendum orðið fyrir líkamsárás í skóla" [One in twenty gay students has been physically assaulted at school]. Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 21 April 2022.
34. Ćirić, Jelena (28 June 2021). "First Openly LGBT Head of Government Honoured by Samtökin '78". Iceland Review. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
35. Ingólfsson, Arnar Þór (11 September 2021). "Léleg einkunn frá Samtökunum '78 þýðir ekki að flokkar standi gegn hinsegin fólki" [A poor rating from the Association '78 does not mean that parties oppose gay people]. Kjarninn (in Icelandic). Retrieved 21 April 2022.
36. Hate crimes targeting LGBTI people in the Nordic countries: A survey of strategies, methods and initiatives. Nordic Gender Institute. Nordic Council of Ministers. 19 November 2021. p. 42. ISBN 978-92-893-7199-5.

External links

• Official website