Morten Rudå (born 1960)

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 Please note that specialized terms, historical references, and nuanced content may benefit from expert review.

Rudå was one of the first to perform in drag in Norway. As early as 1979, he helped start the group 'Los Shwaps'. He is also one of the three founders and original members of the 'Great Garlic Girls'.

In the interview, Rudå talks about growing up in Kjelsås, Oslo. At just 16, he snuck into the gay nightclub Metropol in his hometown using a fake ID.

He shares how he began performing in drag at a time when it was still virtually unknown in Norway. Together with Simen Sand and Olav Klingen, he co-founded the Great Garlic Girls in 1981. As a performer, Rudå also spent several years in the United States, where he pursued further education and professional work.

He is also known by his alter ego, Tootsie Knutsen.

In the excerpt below, Rudå tells the story of hosting a makeup workshop in the early 1980s for a group that identified as transvestites.

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

Skeivt arkiv met Morten Rudå in Oslo, February 2018.