Øivind Eckhoff

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Øivind Eckhoff (1916-2001) was a pianist and associate professor of musicology at the University of Oslo, known as a skilled music educator. Eckhoff also made his mark in the fight for gay liberation. He was involved from the very beginning in the Norwegian Association of 1948 and served on the board for a period. However, his major pioneering effort in this area came in 1957 with the comprehensive educational book "We Who Feel Differently. Homosexuality and Society" – a 342-page attempt to explain the causes of homosexuality, as well as to clarify the difficult situation of homosexuals and their natural place in society. The book was published under the pseudonym Finn Grodal.

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Not only is "We Who Feel Differently" Norway's first scientific book on homosexuality, but it is still one of the few Norwegian academic books written on the subject. With this book, the terms homosexual/ity and heterosexual/ity were also introduced into Norwegian press and public debate. In an interview with the undersigned in Fritt Fram (Oct. 1989), Eckhoff explains the background of the project:

Homosexuality was a dark continent. I thought that someone had to dare to address in its full breadth a topic that was otherwise always swept under the rug. I had a sense of calling, that this was something I had special qualifications to accomplish, and to do it better than others.

Not only is "We Who Feel Differently" Norway's first scientific book on homosexuality, but it is still one of the few Norwegian academic books written on the subject. With this book, the terms homosexual/ity and heterosexual/ity were also introduced into Norwegian press and public debate. In an interview with the undersigned in Fritt Fram (Oct. 1989), Eckhoff explains the background of the project:

Homosexuality was a dark continent. I thought that someone had to dare to address in its full breadth a topic that was otherwise always swept under the rug. I had a sense of calling, that this was something I had special qualifications to accomplish, and to do it better than others.

The work on the book took several years, and Eckhoff finally got it published by Aschehoug. They must have believed in the book as it was printed in 4000 copies, and of these, 1000 were sent to Denmark. After ten years, the book was sold out. The reception in the major newspapers was surprisingly positive, and the response was particularly good from satisfied readers. Eckhoff received nearly 200 letters from homosexuals who told their life stories and wanted to correspond with him. When he became aware of all the documentation hidden in the letters, the idea of creating a book based on the unique letter material emerged. Aschehoug was initially positive to the idea but eventually concluded that there were too many repetitions. The title of the book was to be "The Silent Speak Out". The manuscript is now preserved in the National Archives (Private Archive No. 1216: LLH), and a copy can be found in SKA/A-0003, Gro Lindstad's archive.

In the book, Øivind Eckhoff emphasizes how important it is for homosexuals to have self-confidence and respect for themselves. Nothing is more important than having something for self-esteem to take root in. It must end with avoiding eye contact and apologizing for existing. Such was the mentality in the 1950s, but perhaps not entirely unknown today either. The author's advice is therefore: Become friends with yourself, so you can easily look your neighbor boldly in the eye! [...] By weeding out the weeds that hinder your self-esteem from growing strong, you will also achieve freeing yourself from the burden of uncontrolled anxiety that may now weigh you down. The content of "We Who Feel Differently" looks quite different today than in 1957, and many of today's readers will certainly protest vehemently against some formulations. Nevertheless, there is no doubt that this gay classic is still worth studying. Something that surprised this reader at the time was encountering the word "homse". Eckhoff explains that in the early 1950s, "homse" was a rather negatively charged slang term for a homosexual man.

From 1949 to 1966, Øivind Eckhoff lived with social worker Arne Heli (1924–2006).