Did you know that
It's only been 10 years since every transgender person in Norway had to undergo forced sterilisation in order to change their gender marker,
and till this day neither the state nor the singular hospital with a state sanctioned monopoly on all gender affirming care - the same ones who once tore organs out of trans people - (NBTK) have acknowledged or apologised for the systematic modern day eugenic practice which only ended in 2016? In fact the NBTK still lies on record about this not being forced or obligatory.
Norway continues to be one of the worst countries in Europe in regards to gender affirming care. While trans people are (still) free to use whichever bathroom they like, it takes on average over a decade for a trans person to get the gender affirming care they need, and only if they are:
Willing to lie about themselves and their identity at every corner
Presenting as binary as possible (makeup and skirts are mandatory for trans women, as an example)
Expressing bioessentialist views
Not suffering any mental illness such as depression or neurodivergencies
Willing to go through invasive and humiliating interviews*
As well as trials which can quite literally cost them their job, family and network**.
And only if you're a binary trans person, as the NBTK claims there's no scientific basis for providing non-binary people gender affirming care.
This has resulted in half of all Norwegian trans people paying out of pocket for their transition - often abroad - which makes transitioning a privilege reserved for the rich and those willing to put themselves in lifelong debt, and it especially hurts people in need of testosterone, as it is nearly impossible to DIY.
A fresh audit by an independent legal firm just concluded that the rights of transgender citizens are not upheld by the Norwegian healthcare system. The NBTK has yet to respond.
This while they've been in hot water for years already as the NBTK has already been found guilty of illegal and unethical research on transgender people and the misuse of their personal data without consent - or by blackmailing trans people by making them belive they will forfeit their access to healthcare if they decline. The case is still under works.
One of the leaders at NBTK, dr. Anne Wæhre, not only has a long history of lying to the public about all of this, but she has published works especially criticising the "epidemic" of AFAB trans people - calling them 'the nation's daughters' - even though the number of AFAB trans people is still far lower than AMAB trans people in their system. To make matters worse, she's known to associate with the anti-trans hate group SEGM, going so far as to attend their meetings and be a part of their panels, with Norwegian tax payers footing the bill.
The NBKT has stated on record that they are aware that they aren't following neither international nor national Standards of Care, claiming that their more conservative approach is better.
Universal healthcare does not fix systematic transphobia, or regrow the reproductive organs which were torn out. The EU's disapproval is meaningless, as we well know from various ongoing genocides.
When you fight for trans rights, keep Norwegian trans folks in mind too.
*it's not uncommon for healthcare providers at the NBTK to ask you invasive and irrelevant questions such as how distressed you are by your own body hair, and whether or not you fantasise about your parents while you masturbate.
**the most notorious of these trials is a "real life test" where the trans person is forced to be fully and completely out and "live as their perceived gender" without hormones, aids or support. This often results in trans people getting assaulted, raped, disowned, fired, made homeless, and it's terrible for one's mental health - which is especially damning when depression alone can be grounds for being declined gender affirming care. After all you're not sane of mind while depressed. This test is at minimum 12 months long, but can be much longer if the NBTK doesn't deem you "ready".
