Words by

Jóhannes Bjarkason

On the morning of Sunday, August 27, neighbours of  Reykjavík’s Skólavörðustræti – more commonly known as Rainbow Street – woke up to a grim act of vandalism on the famed walkway. 

A portion of the street had been ruined by white paint. In the middle of the road, the words “LGBT LOSER” had been crudely painted. 

City employees started cleaning efforts later in the day. 

Skólavörðustræti was painted in the colours of the rainbow for the first time in 2015, in celebration of Reykjavík Pride.

In 2019, it was made a permanent symbol in support of Iceland’s LGBTQ+ community.