Jens Torstein Olsen (born 1948)

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 Please note that specialized terms, historical references, and nuanced content may benefit from expert review.

Olsen has worked as a priest in Stavanger and in various parishes within the Diocese of Oslo. He is now retired after several years of service in the Majorstuen parish.

In the interview, Olsen talks about growing up in a conservative Christian environment in Mandal. He also shares how he chose to be open about being gay from the very beginning of his ministry.

We also hear the full story and background of his legal case against the Church Council—a case he ultimately lost.

He speaks about his long relationship with Erling Lae. The Queer Archive also holds a joint interview with the two of them.

An excerpt from the interview can be seen in the window below, where Olsen talks about how difficult it became to continue working as a priest once it became known that he was living with another man.

The full interview is available at the Queer Archive (Skeivt arkiv), part of the Special Collections at the University Library of Bergen.

The Queer Archive met Jens Torstein Olsen in Oslo in January 2018.