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Samtökin ’78 Receive A Surge Of Requests From Americans
Iceland’s national queer association Samtökin ’78 have received a surge of requests from American queer people since Donald Trump was elected president, asking for information on how to relocate to Iceland. Many think their safety is threatened due to the Trump administration’s…
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Fighting For The Freedom To Breathe: LGBTQIA+ Asylum Seekers In Iceland
It’s no secret that Iceland is broadly regarded as a safe and accepting place for the LGBTQIA+ community. Laws criminalising same-sex sexual activity were repealed in 1940, same-sex couples have been legally permitted to register their partnership since 1996, marriage was made…
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‘No Makeup’: Exploring Characters On And Off Stage
“People and system restrictions,” says film director Monika Konarzewska about her main sources of inspiration. Straddling the line between documentary and performance, her debut film ‘No Makeup’ takes a close look at queer life in Iceland through the eyes of expat drag…
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A Queer Utopia? Examining The Gap Between The Law And The People
Iceland has a reputation, in many ways well-deserved, as a good place for queer people to live. While the country has definitely made great strides—especially when it comes to gay people—to ensure equal rights and fair treatment for queer Icelanders, thereis still…
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Enter Galactic: Comic Artist Galactic Deer Sheds Light On The Reality Of Russian Queer Youth
Galactic Deer, a nonbinary artist originally from Russia who now lives in Iceland, is on a mission. Their new autobiographical comics series is, at first glance, very cute and charmingly drawn. But the issues it explores run deeper than this, and for…
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Creating Their Own Space: Soulflow Brings Women And Queer Comedy Nights To Gaukurinn
At Soulflow Comedy, a new show happening every Monday night at Gaukurinn, everyone is included. The weekly event, which will showcase exclusively women and queer performers, is causing a shockwave in the Reykajvík comedy scene. “Comedy can feel really intimidating,” says Kimi…
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GayIceland Announce New Podcast On Queer Women
GayIceland, Iceland’s leading queer-focused English news service, has announced the launch of a new podcast. Called ‘Sister Sister’ and hosted by Yaz Duncan, the podcast centres the experiences of queer women. In an interview with GayIceland, Yaz says she is particularly interested…
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Life In Pictures: Reykjavík Pride
From August 7th to August 12th, Pride took hold of Reykjavík in its loving hands to celebrate the variety of life and the beauty of inclusiveness. The biggest event of the week was the legendary Pride Parade, where floats showcased the ever-growing…
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The Queer Canon Of Iceland: Ásta Kristín Benediktsdóttir Explores An Oft-Ignored Topic
The roster for Reykjavík Pride is full of engaging and thought-provoking events. From stand up shows by gay comedians to queer choir concerts to lectures on masculinity, the programme is designed to push the envelope and fascinate both newbies to queer culture…
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LGBTI Rights In Iceland Still Lacking, Report Says
Iceland is in 16th place out of a possible 49 countries when it comes to LGBTI rights, a new report from ILGA-Europe shows. The country has much to be proud of, but is still lacking many crucial protections for the most vulnerable…
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Queer Activists Meet With President Over Russia
Yesterday, queer rights organisation Samtökin 78 met with Icelandic President Guðni Th. Jóhannesson to discuss how Icelandic authorities could pressure Russia into protecting the rights of homosexuals in the country. During the meeting, the group furthermore spoke about the importance of encouraging…
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Queer Rights Activists Descend On Russian Embassy
Queer rights organisation Samtökin 78 is staging a three day demonstration outside the Russian embassy in Reykjavík to protest the violent crackdown on homosexuals in Chechnya. In April, Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta reported that round 100 gay and bisexual men had been…
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From Silence To Utopia: Queer History In Iceland
When president Guðni Th. Jóhannesson took the stage at Reykjavík Pride on August 6 followed by a group of drag queens and kings dressed in their finest rainbow-patterned outfits, you’d be excused for thinking Iceland has always been the queerest rock in…
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Queer History On Show As Reykjavík Pride Begins
Downtown Reykjavík became a bit more colourful Tuesday after the sidewalk outside Menntaskólinn í Reykjavík was painted with rainbow colours to kick of the annual Reykjavík Pride festival. Dozens of people gathered outside the building on Lækjargata to watch festival president Eva María…
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Drag-Súgur: The Queens Of Reykjavík
It’s Tuesday night and the heels are out at the rehearsal space of Drag-Súgur, Reykjavík’s latest and greatest drag performance group. The queens are gearing up for their upcoming performance at Reykjavík Pride, which will be their biggest yet, and the excitement…
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There Will Be Rainbows
Reykjavík has many reasons to be proud. Heck, just last issue we catalogued the gamut of what makes Reykjavík such a groovy place to call home—including the best of everything under our conspicuously elusive sun. But, as summer (or whatever this cold,…