Reykjavík Grapevine - ágú. 2022, Blaðsíða 10

10 The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 08— 2022
“It shouldn't be a debate,” Íris says. “My
colleagues in Norway, for instance, the
first thing they brought up after the
shooting was that the responsibility of
the media is huge, because they dehu-
manise people when they put people's
lives and existence up for ‘debate.’ It
isn't a debate and you don't always have
to participate in the debate.”
Íris emphasises that wherever you
might hear or see transphobia, allies
should always push back against it, no
matter who the speaker is.
“When you hear somebody saying
something transphobic, even if it's your
own family or co-workers or something,
never let things slip by without ques-
tioning what people are saying. Never
allow it to become something natural
or something like that. Ruin Christ-
mas dinner. Or maybe the dessert after
Christmas. Basically don't allow it to
become something that is not ques-
tioned. Just don't allow it to become a
natural part of the environment.”
Elí adds that the “debate” framing
is hardly anything new, either, saying,
“That's how a lot of civil rights have
been framed in the past. And that's civil
rights that we find super natural to have
right now.”
Andrés points out that one does not
need to be a member of Parliament to
be able to exact change for the better.
“Even if you're not in Parliament,
you're probably in a position of privi-
lege, compared to the trans commu-
nity,” he says. “So whatever you do will
probably be a million times easier than
then for an actual trans activist to do it.
What we need are more voices. I mean,
there's many of us in Parliament or
society in general, talking about these
issues. Whenever they come up, we do
get backup from a bunch of people, but I
think we need to sort of build a stronger
choir in society. To be the background to
whatever's happening.”
In terms of allyship, Eli recommends
that those with the means donate
money directly to trans rights organ-
isations, and also brings up the advice to
push back against transphobic speech,
adding that allies should also “show up
when you’re needed” at demonstrations
and protests supporting trans rights.
Viima believes allyship begins with
examining one’s self.
“It starts with just changing your-
self, because all of us have grown up
to discriminate,” they say. “We have
learned to live in these worlds that have
discriminatory mechanisms.” As such,
educating one’s self is important, but
also the recognition that we are fallible.
“If you make mistakes, it's human—
we all make mistakes,” they say. “Correct
yourself and continue life and just
smile.
Viima also echoes Íris’s points,
saying that it is important for allies
to take on the burden of challenging
discussions. “There are only a limited
number of trans and nonbinary people.
We can't be expected to have those diffi-
cult conversations with those who are ill
informed, who may even have a hateful
attitude towards trans or nonbinary
people,” they say “You need to have
those difficult conversations in person
and sometimes online, that it’s not okay
to hate your neighbour just because they
happen to be not cisgender.”
The tide can turn
Anti-trans rhetoric is still very young
in Iceland. All of the people we spoke
with on why it's here and how to stop it
share in common the belief that Icelan-
dic society is especially suited to spread
misinformation amongst the popula-
tion quickly, to provide platforms for
hate that will reach many people with
great speed.
At the same time, Iceland’s small-
ness and the density of its society
means that education can spread just
as quickly. Allyship can spread quickly.
If the 2008-2009 protests, or the 2016
Panama Papers protests, are any indica-
tion, organised action can also be cata-
lysed quickly. That said, human rights
are never won once and for all.
“The trans allies and trans people
are winning right now, but I think it's
really important to keep in mind that
it's never a straight line,” Íris says. “It's
always one step forward, two steps back
or the other way around. And I think
that's really important to keep in mind:
that these attitudes towards trans
people are probably going to change for
the better or for the worse continually,
and if you want the forces of good to
win, that is something that we have to
be constantly working on. I'm not sure
how it will go. But I think it's going to be
a constant flux. So I think we have to be
really active in trying to make it so that
trans people can live free.”
“You need to have those difficult conversations in
person and sometimes online, that it’s not okay to
hate your neighbour just because they happen to be
not cisgender.”
“I don't feel like there's a lot of representation of
trans people in the media doing something other
than being trans.”
10The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 08— 2022
Best Newcomer*
Book a table on brut.is
Best Seafood*
Best Brunch*
Pósthússtræti 2
Brút
- Brút - Br
út -
Brút
- Br
út -
Brút
- B
rút
- Brút
- Brút
- Brút - Brút - Brút - Brút - Brút - Brút - Brút - Brút - Brút - Brút - B
rút
-
Brút -
Brú
t - B
rút
- B
rút - Brút - Brút - Brút - Br út - Brút - Brút - Brút - Brút - Br
út - Brút - B
rút - Brút -
Brút - Brút - B
rút
- Brút -
Brút
- Br
út -
Brút
- B
rút - Brút - Brút - Brút - Brút - Brút - Brút - Brút - Brút - Brút - Brút -
Brút
- Brú
t - B
rút
- Br
út - Br
út - Br
út - Brút - Brút - B rút - Brút - Brút - Brút - Brút - Brút - Brút - Br
út - Brút Brút - Brút - Brút - Brút - Brút - Brút - Brút - Brút - Brút - B
rút -
Brút -
Brút - Brút
- Brút - Brút - Brút - Brút -
Brút
- Brú
t - Brút -
Brút - Brút - Brút - Brút - Brút -
Brút -
Brút - Brút - Brút - Brút - Brút - Brút - Brút - Brút
- Brút
-
Brút - B
rút - Brú
t -
Brút
-
Brút
- Brút - Brút - Brút - Brút - Brút - Brút - Brút - B rút - Brút - Brút
- Br
út - Br
út - Brút
- Brút - Brút - Brút - Brút - Br
út - B
rút - Brút - Brút - Brút - Brút - Brút - Brút - Brút
- Brút - Brút - Brút - Brút - Brú
t - B
rút -
Brút - Brút - Brút -
Brút
Best newcomer restura
nt
-
Be
st
b
ru
nc
h
-
Be
st
s
ea
foo
d resturant - Best resturant -
*B
es
t o
f R
eykjavik - Grapevine
2022
+354 537 2788