Pride in Umeå: More Necessary Than Ever
Next week, Umeå Pride will once again fill the city with colour, celebration, and resistance. While Umeå is often seen as a progressive, liberal city, discrimination and exclusion remain part of everyday life for LGBTQIA+ people.
Even in a city with Umeå’s reputation, some queer people avoid bars and clubs because they don’t feel safe
, says Benjamin Sientzoff, organiser of Club Bisous and board member of RFSL Umeå. Too often, discrimination starts at the door, with staff or guards deciding who belongs and who doesn’t.
This lack of safe public spaces is why Pride remains so important — and why I founded Escarpin Productions, a grassroots initiative to create safe and inclusive spaces for queer people in Umeå. Its flagship event is Club Bisous, our queer club night, alongside pub quizzes, speed dating/friending, and soon, a cabaret. From the very first night, Club Bisous has operated largely on a grassroots basis, often running at a loss, reflecting both the commitment of organisers and the need for sustainable support for queer spaces.
Since the very first open stage at Ögonblicksteater in February, Escarpin Productions has hosted a wide range of events. In total, over 1,000 people have attended, demonstrating the strong demand for inclusive and safe spaces. This summer, Båten provided a welcoming venue for these activities. Building on this momentum, Cabaret Bisous: Première Fois will premiere on Thursday evenings at Vävenscenen, continuing our mission to create vibrant, inclusive events for the community.
Finding a new venue that feels safe and welcoming is now our biggest challenge
, Benjamin explains. Grassroots organisers face many barriers. For example, trying to get support from the municipality was almost impossible — I was redirected to organisations that had either closed or were struggling due to underfunding. It’s a vicious circle: the municipality relies on these organisations to provide safe spaces, but they can’t operate sustainably without support. We cannot rely only on overworked, volunteer-driven organisations — real, structural support is needed for both the queer community and the organisations themselves.
Still, there is hope. Club Bisous events regularly attract over 200 visitors per night, showing the community’s creativity, resilience, and eagerness for safe queer spaces.
There will be more Club Bisous in the future, with plans to continue hosting events at Umeå Folkets Hus. RFSL Umeå now counts Club Bisous among its activities, marking a key step toward sustainable, recurring queer spaces. With a new, driven board, RFSL Umeå is preparing to apply for grants from the municipality, the region, and other organisations — not only to continue club nights, but also to develop more activities that support, empower, and strengthen the LGBTQIA+ community.
Get involved
Support can take many forms: become a member of RFSL Umeå, volunteer at Club Bisous events, buy tickets early, or help us find new safe spaces. Together, we can keep building the inclusive spaces our community deserves.
About Club Bisous
Club Bisous is a queer club concept in Umeå, created to provide a safe and inclusive space for LGBTQIA+ people. In addition to club nights, the project hosts cabaret performances, pub quizzes, and speed dating/friending events, creating opportunities for queer people to meet, form connections, and strengthen a supportive, inclusive community in the region, while also providing a platform for local queer performers to showcase their art.