Translation: Victoria Bakshina

Namesakes Birta B. Kjerúlf (she) and Birta Ósk (they/she) each worked on their research projects on the status of trans people in Icelandic society. Both projects were funded by the Student Innovation Fund and were conducted in collaboration with the Icelandic Women's Rights Association on the one hand, and the Faculty of Political Science at the University of Iceland and Samtökin 78 on the other. Ósk focused on analyzing the social status of kvár or non-binary people, while Kjerúlf examined the status and rights of trans people in relation to the political system. What does it mean to be trans?

Trans umbrella

Trans is an umbrella term for gender identity that does not correspond to the gender assigned to a person at birth. Under the umbrella are trans women, trans men and kvár or non-binary people. Kvár is a relatively new noun that can be seen as another umbrella under the trans umbrella that covers all people who experience themselves and define in one way or another outside the gender dichotomy: female-male. Cis is a term for all the others, or those who experience their gender according to the one they were assigned at birth.

Society and the system do not expect the existence of trans people

The main findings of both studies were that trans people face widely flawed systems that do not expect their existence. The group is made invisible, it is either not mentioned or even renounced in public discussion. Such systems are as diverse as they are many, ranging from computer systems that do not offer neutral gender registration and force queer people into gendered boxes, to being much larger in size, e.g., the health and medical insurance system, the school system, administration, and workplaces. It is unfortunate that the group's issues have not been addressed by authorities. The Gender Autonomy Act, passed in 2019, was a major step towards equal rights for trans people, but it was no magic pill for the problems they face every day.

The challenges trans people face are varied and can be found in detail in both research reports. For example, with regard to problems within the political system, kvár people have limited freedom of movement that comes with a neutral gender registration, the health system relies on various gender-based rules that serve trans people incorrectly or not at all, and the group's issues are not a priority on the government's agenda and therefore neglected. Another problem can be found in the attitude of society as a whole towards trans people and non-binary people. For example, people do not bother to use the pronoun hán (they) or non-gendered language, put the group's issues aside and cause the group to become invisible in society, so trans people have to fight for their very right to exist.

Where does the responsibility lie?

There is little trust among trans people towards the government. This lack of trust can be attributed to these flawed systems and the limited willingness of government and governmental institutions to educate themselves about and work on issues relating to trans people and non-binary people. It takes a lot of energy for trans people to have to defend their right to exist and educate others on a daily basis about what it means to be trans. An example of this can be taken from the health system where trans people are made to educate staff who themselves should be considered experts. This needs to change. This is a task that should rest on the shoulders of the more privileged majority: cis people. Cis people should first and foremost listen to and believe trans people and show them respect by using the right pronouns, first names and taking care not to misgender them. Cis people should also educate themselves about trans issues and educate others who use wrong language or even hate speech, so cis people can use their privileges for good. The government and society as a whole need to work together to promote a positive awareness and visibility of the group. In addition, it is necessary to take direct action to improve the legal status of trans people in Icelandic society and correct the inequalities they have to suffer.

Want to learn more about trans people?

The research reports of Birta and Birta were published in September and are available on the website of the Icelandic Women's Rights Association and the Faculty of Political Science at the University of Iceland. There you can read a more detailed analysis of the results of both studies. There will also be a symposium on the release day of this issue, 21st of October, at 11:40-13:10 in Oddi. The results of the research will be presented and followed by a panel discussion where the status of trans and non-binary people in Icelandic society will be discussed. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend.

Where do trans people stand in Icelandic society?