Bjørn Flatland (born 1950)

Translator's Note: This is a machine-assisted translation completed on May 30, 2025. While care has been taken to maintain accuracy, this translation has not yet undergone human review or validation.

Flatland is now retired and lives with his husband in Oslo. The two have been married since 2009. He has long been involved in various queer communities.

Flatland was born and raised in Vrådal, in the region of Vest-Telemark. He recounts how, in the early 1980s while living in Kongsberg, he more or less forced himself to confront his own homosexuality. During this period, he became active in the Homosexual Movement Buskerud. After moving to Oslo, he also became involved with the Virus Group, serving as treasurer. The group raised funds to support quality-of-life initiatives at the medical infection ward at Ullevål Hospital, ultimately collecting a total of 2.5 million NOK. It was also during this time that he began volunteering for the Homosexual and Lesbian Information Hotline (HOLT).

In an excerpt from the interview, Flatland shares experiences from his time with the hotline. 'I believe 90% of the calls were silent,' he recalls.

The full interview is available in our reading room. Skeivt Arkiv met Bjørn Flatland in Oslo, September 2019.