Reykjavík Grapevine - 14.10.2018, Page 64

L IF E , T R AV EL & EN T ER TA INMEN T IN ICEL A ND
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LAST WORDS
Transformation
Sequence
Words: Andie Fontaine Photo: Art Bicnick
A couple weeks ago, I publicly came out as
trans and non-binary. The journey to this
point began in my early childhood, followed
some dark and foggy paths through my teens
and young adult years, but was recently given
a guiding light by the scientific information
and research that is now more readily
available than ever. My name has changed,
and so will my appearance, in part due to
hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
Some people asked me if I was nervous
about the reaction I would get. To be honest,
my biggest fear about transitioning has
everything to do with the outdated process
trans and non-binary people are subjected
to in Iceland if they choose to transition.
First off, “non-binary” is not recognised
by the law or by the health care system in
Iceland, so if you want to transition, you’ll
have to pick “male” or “female.” You will have
to "live as" one of these genders, in particular
as a part of your presentation, for at least
six months and up to 18 months or longer
while enduring a series of invasive questions
about the underwear you wear, what sexual
positions you enjoy, and the like.
None of which, by the way, has anything to
do with gender. Trans folks are already "living
as" their gender, regardless of what they wear
or how the have sex, just like cis folks.
All this must happen not only before you
can access HRT; these are also pre-conditions
for changing your registered gender (again,
only “male” or “female”) or even your legal
name—a name, by the way, that must meet
the legal requirements for “male” and
“female” names. And if you’re not an Icelandic
citizen, tough luck; you’ll need to get your
name and gender registered correctly in
your home country first before Iceland will
recognise it.
This matters not just because things are
far more progressive in other countries, and
not just because Iceland discriminates based
on nationality in yet another area.
Our genders, our hormones, our names—
none of these things should be a matter of
bureaucratic pleading and gatekeeping. They
are elements of our identities, they belong
to us, and maybe someday, the law might
actually reflect that.