About me
# Bjarndís Helga Tómasdóttir
Bjarndís Helga Tómasdóttir serves as Chair of the National Queer Organisation of Iceland (Samtökin '78), bringing over two decades of advocacy experience to her leadership of Iceland's oldest LGBTQIA2S+ rights organization. Her journey began in the late 1990s when she was initially turned away from Samtökin '78 for being bisexual, an experience that shaped her commitment to ensuring organizational inclusivity for all queer identities.
After returning to the organization through Reykjavík Pride organizing, Bjarndís progressed through committee work and board roles before assuming the chairpersonship in March 2024. Her leadership comes as Samtökin '78 approaches its 50th anniversary while facing increased global and domestic backlash against LGBTQIA2S+ rights.
Under her leadership, the organization addresses rising hate speech and violence through innovative counterspeech workshops that provide community tools to respond to prejudice. She advocates for increased research into LGBTQIA2S+ community needs, particularly highlighting concerning data about queer youth wellbeing and identifying queer seniors as an emerging priority group facing unique challenges in aging facilities.
Bjarndís is currently working to expand Samtökin '78's community space and services, relocating to facilities that can better serve as both advocacy headquarters and community gathering place. Despite political changes following Iceland's recent election, she remains committed to maintaining government support while building broader community backing.
Her advocacy philosophy centers on the belief that celebrating progress and defending rights must go hand-in-hand, particularly as international trends show how quickly LGBTQIA2S+ protections can be eroded. She emphasizes that queer culture and community belonging sustain long-term activism, drawing from her personal experience of finding acceptance within the LGBTQIA2S+ community.
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