Some people enter a title competition with a perfectly polished idea of what they want to say if they win. Ormur Guðjónsson apparently got as far as: “Holy fucking shit what do I do now?”
Now crowned Mr. Reykjavík Bear 2026, the 32-year-old from Ísafjörður plans to use his title year to talk about trans inclusion, disability access and who gets to feel at home in gay male spaces. He also likes large hairy men, has a complicated relationship with the smell of fish, and has somehow ended up in Norwegian parades more than once. So obviously we had questions.
GayIceland spoke to Ormur about finding the bear community, being a gay transgender man, the accessibility problems hiding in plain sight at queer events, and what he hopes to do with the title over the coming year.
GayIceland: For readers meeting you for the first time, can you tell us a little about yourself and your life in Reykjavík?
Ormur: “Absolutely, I am a 32 year old transgender man born and raised in Ísafjörður in the Westfjords. I have been living in Reykjavík since August of 2025 because I am studying Developmental Psychology/Disability Advocacy (Þroskaþjálfafræði) at the University of Iceland.”
Looking at the video it is so obvious I was absolutely frozen in shock, I had no idea what I was supposed to do on-stage. It’s kind of hilarious.
GayIceland: What first drew you to the bear community, and what made you decide to enter Mr. Reykjavík Bear this year?
Ormur: “The obvious answer is the bears. I’ve always been deeply attracted to large hairy men, but I didn’t join the community until 2024. I had already gotten to know Siggi, our chairman, online and he invited me to come to the Bear communities Pride Party that year. They had a raffle and I won tickets to all the RVK Bear parties that year, so I made the long trek from Akureyri where I was living at the time and discovered just how amazing bears can be, both here and internationally.”
GayIceland: What was going through your head when your name was announced as the winner?
Ormur: “Am I allowed to swear? ‘Holy fucking shit what do I do now?’ Looking at the video it is so obvious I was absolutely frozen in shock, I had no idea what I was supposed to do on-stage. It’s kind of hilarious. Then quickly that feeling of shock was replaced by immense joy.”
GayIceland: You’ve spoken about how welcoming the Icelandic bear community can be. What makes it feel special to you?
Ormur: “The Icelandic bear community feels special to me because all can participate. We realize that clique behaviour and exclusion benefit none of us and that we are all stronger together. Bears in Iceland lead with love, so nobody should be shy to join us, strike up a conversation and get to know us!”
GayIceland: As a proud transgender bear, what would you like to see the wider bear community do to make trans and non-binary people feel more included?
Ormur: “If people would stop assuming things based on appearance things would be a whole lot easier. Don’t assume that the hot guy at the bar has a penis, don’t assume people’s pronouns and don’t be afraid to ask questions. One assumption that annoys me personally is when guys assume I’ll be offended if they are no longer interested once I disclose that I am trans and so they are afraid to be honest about that. I don’t mind and I don’t know a single trans person who does. I like to have bedfellows that enjoy what I bring to the table anatomically speaking.”
One assumption that annoys me personally is when guys assume I’ll be offended if they are no longer interested once I disclose that I am trans and so they are afraid to be honest about that.
GayIceland: You’ve spent years supporting disabled people and are now studying disability advocacy. How has that shaped the way you think about inclusion and community more broadly?
Ormur: “Anyone who works with disabled people can tell you that once you start you can not stop noticing how society is built to exclude disabled bodies. Not just in physical accessibility like ramps and elevators, but also in sensory and emotional accessibility. Public venues tend to be extremely loud, darkly lit and hot, which can be awful conditions for hard-of-hearing, deaf and neurodivergent people. This is especially true for queer venues and queer gatherings. As a result of being unable to not notice this inaccessibility I’ve wanted to fight to make the social gatherings I frequent more disability friendly. Have ramps and elevators, have quiet areas or earplugs freely available.”
GayIceland: You grew up in Ísafjörður and clearly have a strong connection to Icelandic culture. How has that background shaped who you are today?
Ormur: “Icelandic culture and my background as someone from the most beautiful town in Iceland (I’m not biased at all) have shaped me in both good and bad ways. I’m a hard worker, have a deep love for our language and traditions and I love the smell of fish. On the other hand I am maybe a bit too stubborn, work too much, and my biggest flaw: I love the smell of fish.”
GayIceland: What would you most like to achieve during your year as Mr. Reykjavík Bear, both in Iceland and when representing the community abroad?
Ormur: “I’d most like to broaden people’s views on who is and isn’t allowed within gay male spaces. I’ve personally experienced quite a lot of backlash for saying that I am a homosexual transgender man. Some people think that I should be described as heterosexual, but to me the answer is simple. I am a man who likes other men, so I am gay.
The prefix “trans” doesn’t change that.
I would also love to make disability inclusion something that the wider bear community considers when planning events. Too often venues are inaccessible either physically or in sensory ways. Disabled bears exist and I would absolutely love for them to be able to join us every single time.”
I would also love to make disability inclusion something that the wider bear community considers when planning events. Too often venues are inaccessible either physically or in sensory ways.
GayIceland: Your Reykjavík Bear profile mentions that you have a talent for “accidentally ending up in Norwegian parades”, which obviously requires some explanation. What exactly happened?
Ormur: “Haha well, the first time wasn’t much of an accident. I went to Tromso for a Leatherman event called Arctic Pilot (highly recommend, very fun) and part of that event was walking in the Arctic Pride Parade.
The second time I went to Norway to stay with a friend and relax for a week after my exams at university had ended and before my summer job started. I had completely forgotten that the Norwegian independence day is celebrated in May and was smack dab in the middle of my stay there. On the day my friend gently asked me to go find some of his friends to deliver an item, which I did, and those friends then harassed me to join the independence day parade. So there I was waving a Norwegian flag, a sole Icelander in the middle of a throng of Norwegians. Gratulerer med nasjonaldagen, Norge!”
Ormur will represent Reykjavík Bear throughout his title year, both at home in Iceland and internationally.
If all of this has made you curious about the Icelandic bear community, or simply interested in spending substantially more time around bears, you can find out more about RVKBear, upcoming events and the Mr. Reykjavík Bear contest through the Reykjavík Bear website or follow @rvkbear on Instagram. You can also join their Facebook group.