University years are crucial in the lives of several of us. It is usually in college that we define ourselves, both personally and professionally, and build our community which can last a lifetime. Nowadays, however, universities are often under the control of government propaganda in Hungary, which sadly influences these sensitive years. As a consequence, qLit aims to start an article series that focuses on unversities all around the world.
This is a guest post of Sushobhan Bhandari. Anna and Amy met Susho at Bergen Pride There we learned that Bergen, Norway’s second largest city is a member of the Rainbow Cities Network, which means it is dedicated to supporting its LGBTQIA+ citizens. But what does that mean for someone who lives there? In this article, Susho tells us about how it really feels to live in Bergen and what it is like to study at Bergen University.
“Originally, I come from Asia, so before moving to Europe, I was happy to hear that Bergen is very LGBTQIA+ friendly. Despite being Norway’s second-largest city, Bergen feels small compared to my hometown, Kathmandu. There’s only one queer bar in the entire city, which didn’t meet my expectations, leaving me disappointed. I had imagined a vibrant queer community with people wearing bold outfits and waving rainbow flags, but the reality here is more subdued.
For instance, I once carried a tote bag with a rainbow print in Bergen and noticed people staring—not directly, but with multiple quick glances. In contrast, when I lived in Bangkok, Thailand, I couldn’t leave a metro station without seeing a queer person. There no one is surprised by someone in booty shorts making out with their partner in public. You can even see dildos being sold on the street. It’s wild! There’s a whole street dedicated to queer bars, clubs, and cafes, offering a wide range of options. Despite its pronounced support of LGBTQIA+ people, Bergen feels very limiting and, to be honest, a bit boring.
When I enrolled at the University of Bergen, one of Norway’s premier institutions, I was surprised to find a lack of dedicated resources for LGBTQIA+ students. Later, however, I found out that there is a queer student group: Skeive Studenter (Queer Students). Today I am one of the board members. We have about 40-50 members, and we host a variety of activities. Our most popular events are the monthly quizzes at the local gay bar, our board game nights, and art nights, which are all alcohol-free. Additionally, we organize a lot of activities during Pride, such as poster workshops, parades, and after-parties.
In June, Sammen (the student housing association) also organized programs for Pride, including installing Pride flags around all student housing, which was nice to see. However, some flags were recently removed and vandalized. Sammen notified us via email and informed us that the rainbow flags would be displayed year-round, which was encouraging to hear.
In line with the troubling fate of some of the rainbow flags, I’ve noticed that people taking part in our events are still reluctant to have their pictures posted on social media or seek visibility. Most of the members are Norwegians, so I wonder why this is the case. Norway is known for protecting LGBTQIA+ rights, but perhaps society is still lagging behind in some ways.
I believe Skeive Studenter has a significant impact as one of Bergen’s main LGBTQIA+ organizations, attracting both newcomers and regular attendees to our events. It’s especially gratifying to see new people in Bergen join us and form friendships with like-minded individuals. However, I feel it is not enough to have just one organization like ours. Visibility and support for our community is still weak, especially amidst the rising far-right all over Europe. Nevertheless, the strength and resilience of our community give me hope for a brighter, more inclusive future.“
