The positive impact of movement and exercise on our physical and mental health can’t be understated. Oftentimes, queer people can feel reluctant to take part in sport and exercise but Bjarni Snæbjörnsson, actor, author and podcast host, and Hannes Sasi Pálsson, co-owner of Pink Iceland, are hoping to change that.
GayIceland sat down with Bjarni and Hannes to learn about their hopes for a newly relaunched LGBTQIA+ running group – Styrmir. The pair decided to revive the running group after the Styrmir Sports club, offering a way for queer people to keep active, had been dormant for a number of years.
“We thought this would be the perfect time to resurrect it as a joyful act of resistance to the backlash so many of us are experiencing,” they explain.
“We really wanted to provide an outlet to have some fun, stay active, and hang out with other queer people and hopefully reach new members and pull older ones back in.”
Bjarni and Hannes also reflect on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the growing backlash against LGBTQIA+ people and how that has led to further isolation. They hope that the resurrection of the running club will be a “small seed” in growing back the “vibrant club that used to be such a huge part of the community”.
“At its height its members took part in soccer, volleyball, swimming, and running practices and our teams would travel domestically and abroad for tournaments.”
Aside from encouraging Iceland’s queer community into exercise, Hannes is on the board of Samtökin ’78, the national queer organization of Iceland and one of the owners and founders of Pink Iceland, an LGBTQIA+ travel company.
“In recent months, we’ve received an increasing number of inquiries from queer individuals in the USA who are deeply concerned about their basic human rights, safety, access to healthcare, and long-term futures,” he says, reflecting on the ‘ripple effect’ of the current political climate in the USA and President Trump’s policies.
“Some are exploring the possibility of relocating or seeking asylum, particularly trans people and families with trans children. It’s heartbreaking.”
We thought this would be the perfect time to resurrect it as a joyful act of resistance to the backlash so many of us are experiencing.
Hannes adds that at Pink Iceland they’ve also seen a rise in queer travelers seeking “not just a vacation, but a sense of safety, somewhere where their mere existence doesn’t put them in jeopardy”.
“Iceland is a small country, but we can still play a meaningful role by speaking out, offering safe spaces, and working with others to uphold human rights.”
On the home front, Bjarni explains that major rollbacks of LGBTQIA+ rights in Iceland are not expected but “a small but threatening minority has gotten increasingly vocal spreading hate and misinformation”.
Of course, as Bjarni points out, what happens in the US has ‘global consequences’ particularly in relation to the continued persecution of more vulnerable members of the queer community, such as trans, non binary, and non gender conforming people.
He also points out the importance of solidarity and that complacency in any part of the queer community could ‘set us back a generation’.
So what can we do as a community to combat the effects of an increasingly uncertain political tide?
“By sharing time and space together,” Bjarni replies. “When I feel overwhelmed, I move my body and running is a great way to escape my anxiety and ground myself. It also gives me the chance to meet and get to know other people.”
For those who may be apprehensive about exercise, we do our utmost to provide a completely safe space for movement.
We have already met several times and everyone is cheering everyone on – both people who are very quick and those who are jogging slowly.
For some just showing up is a great victory and then just hanging out and walking with us (or by themselves) is enough.”
In recent months, we’ve received an increasing number of inquiries from queer individuals in the USA who are deeply concerned about their basic human rights, safety, access to healthcare, and long-term futures.
Bjarni and Hannes are keen to expand the activities on offer, and would like to welcome anyone willing to organize a new sport to get in touch.
Through the group, Bjarni and Hannes are also looking to raise money for Samtökin 78, through donations from runners taking part in the Reykjavík Marathon.
You can get in touch with Styrmi’s running group via their Facebook page.