The limits of Gender Autonomy - A Qualitative Analysis of Icelandic self-determination of legal gender and the Experiences of Trans, Queer, and Non-Binary Individuals

Sammanfattning: Since 2019, Icelanders can self-determine their legal gender. A third “neutral” option was also added. However, formulations in the Act allow only one self-determined change (Act on Gender Autonomy, 2019). Research on self-determination of legal gender has shown how acts can have limited effects since legal change is insufficient in addressing injustice. The separation of medical and legal concerns in many new Acts has been criticized by scholars since embodied concerns of trans folks remain unaddressed (Dietz, 2018; Rose Hartline, 2018; Sørlie, 2020). Therefore, this thesis aimed to explore how societal change and changes in trans-specific health care was experienced among trans, queer, and non-binary Icelanders since the introduction of the Act, where seven qualitative, semi-structured interviews were conducted. The theoretical framework was based on Spade’s (2015) critique of neoliberal rights legislation, used to illustrate the limits of Gender Autonomy on a micro level. This study found that the Gender Autonomy Act was welcomed among trans/queer/nonbinary Icelanders, but nonetheless had various limitations. The restriction of one self-determined change generally led to postponing the change and demonstrated cis-normative notions. Implementation strategies were lacking, where the X marker was experienced as a risk. Trans-specific health care had been depathologized but remained similar in structure, with long waits and outdated views. The Gender Autonomy Act had led to increased visibility of trans/queer/non-binary issues but had simultaneously provided a platform for transphobes. This study found that there are limits to Gender Autonomy, where continuous efforts for trans, queer, and non-binary equality are vital.