Kenneth Brophy (born 1946)

Kenneth Brophy (b. 1946) has been a key figure in Bergen’s queer community since 1970, when he helped establish the city’s chapter of DNF-48. As a sailor, Brophy had visited numerous port cities around the world, discovering vibrant queer communities and meeting places wherever he went. Inspired by these experiences, he envisioned something similar for Bergen.

Café Arnold in Landås, and later Folkets Hus, became the first gathering places for the city’s emerging queer movement. Brophy also served for several years on the national board of DNF-48, and has recently returned to active involvement as a board member of FRI Bergen.

In 2016, Kenneth Brophy was named an honorary member of FRI. That same spring, Skeivt arkiv met with him to hear more about how it all began.