Trans Ísland is an Icelandic advocacy organisation that supports transgender people in Iceland. As of 2018, the chairperson of the group was Alda Villiljós [is].[1]

History edit

Trans Ísland was founded in 2007, as a section of Samtökin '78.[2][3][4]

In 2010, the group helped fight for the public broadcaster RÚV to stop using the term “kynskiptingur” (“sex-changer”) in stories about trans people, switching instead to “transfólk.”[5] In 2015, the group assisted in establishing another group, Non-Binary Iceland, its sibling organisation.[1]

In 2019, the group was involved in helping draft a new law on legal gender recognition in Iceland, replacing the medicalised system with one based on statutory declaration and allowing individuals to choose a third gender option known as "X" on official documents.[6][7] The Althing voted 45–0 to pass the law in June of that year.[8] That year, the group's chairperson, Owl Fisher was named one of the BBC's 100 Women.[9]

In January 2020, the group was awarded a 500,000 ISK grant from the City of Reykjavík's Gunnar Thoroddsen Memorial Fund for humanitarian work.[10] On Women's Rights Day in Iceland that year, organised an event together with the Icelandic Women's Rights Association (IWRA) that saw several different feminist organisations in the country discuss strategies to stop anti-trans sentiment from increasing its influence within Icelandic feminism.[11] In December 2020, Trans Ísland was unanimously granted status as a member association of the IWRA.[12][13]

In January 2021, they collaborated with the RVK Feminist Film Festival for the 2021 edition of the festival.[14]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b Fontaine, Andie Sophia (29 June 2018). "The March Of Progress: The National Queer Organisation Turns 40". The Reykjavík Grapevine. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  2. ^ "From Iceland — Being Transgender In Iceland". The Reykjavik Grapevine. May 24, 2012.
  3. ^ "Trans fólks minnst í Hörpu í dag". RÚV. November 20, 2019.
  4. ^ Josephson, Jyl; Einarsdóttir, Þorgerður; Sigurðardóttir, Svandís Anna (December 2017). "Queering the trans: Gender and sexuality binaries in Icelandic trans, queer, and feminist communities". European Journal of Women's Studies. 24 (1): 70–84. doi:10.1177/1350506815625694. ISSN 1350-5068. S2CID 55534362.
  5. ^ "From Iceland — Transgendered Organisation Calls for Change in Language". The Reykjavik Grapevine. October 29, 2010.
  6. ^ Fontaine, Andie (19 June 2019). "Iceland Passes Major Gender Identity Law: "The Fight Is Far From Over"". The Reykjavík Grapevine.
  7. ^ "On trans issues, Iceland has just put Britain to shame". The Guardian. 21 June 2019.
  8. ^ Elliott, Alexander (19 June 2019). "New law to help trans and intersex people". RÚV.is.
  9. ^ "Icelander among BBC's Women of the Year". RÚV. October 17, 2019.
  10. ^ "From Iceland — Trans Iceland Receives Half Million ISK Grant". The Reykjavik Grapevine. January 10, 2020.
  11. ^ "Trans People and Feminist Solidarity". November 6, 2020.
  12. ^ "Trans Ísland hluti af Kvenréttindafélaginu". RÚV (in Icelandic). 2021-04-30. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  13. ^ "IWRA Welcomes a New Member – Trans Ísland". December 18, 2020.
  14. ^ "Fókusa á trans og kynsegin fólk í kvikmyndagerð". RÚV. October 8, 2020.