Elisabeth Farstad (born 1961)

Translator's Note: This is a machine-assisted translation completed on July 28, 2025. While care has been taken to maintain accuracy, this translation has not yet undergone human review or validation. Please note that specialized terms, historical references, and nuanced content may benefit from expert review.

Farstad spent several years in the United States as part of her education. It was during this time that she first came into contact with—and became part of—a lesbian community.

In the interview, Farstad shares stories from her upbringing in Lillehammer and Bergen. She started playing football at an early age, and it was through the sport that she first met other girls who, she later discovered, were also lesbians.

However, it wasn’t until she traveled to the United States that she had her first girlfriend—and truly came to understand who she was. She also talks about her long-standing involvement in Bergen’s queer community after returning to Norway.

A short excerpt from the interview can be viewed in the window below, where she recounts a humorous story about a conversation with a colleague on what it means to be a lesbian.

The full life history interview is available at Skeivt arkiv, part of the Special Collections at the University Library of Bergen.

We met Elisabeth Farstad in Bergen, January 2018.