Simon Sangolt (born 1955)

Translator's Note: This is a machine-assisted translation completed on May 30, 2025. While care has been taken to maintain accuracy, this translation has not yet undergone human review or validation.

Sangolt was born and raised on Sotra. He and his husband Dag lived there for several years together with his children from a previous marriage. They were among the first couples to live openly as such on Sotra. Since 2002, the two have been residing in Bergen.

In our interview with Sangolt, he speaks about what it was like to grow up knowing he was gay, yet still marrying a woman. It was only after separating from her that he began to seek out queer communities, primarily in Bergen.

He shares many stories from lesser-known places, such as the social environment surrounding Tropic Sauna in Sandviken. He met his current husband, Dag, in 1991. They moved in together that same year and entered into a registered partnership in 1995, which was later converted into a marriage. Professionally, Sangolt worked as a master builder, and he also reflects on what it was like to live openly as a gay man in this traditionally very masculine profession.

He shares experiences from travels to places such as Playa del Inglés in Gran Canaria and the gay scene there.

An excerpt from the interview can be viewed in the window below, where Sangolt discusses the reactions in the local community when he entered into a registered partnership.

The full interview is available in our reading room. Skeivt Arkiv met Simon Sangolt at his home in Bergen, August 2019.