Trans* organizing-trajectories, discussions, strategies (Open group)

9th Nordic Trans Studies Conference, December 8-9, 2025, Örebro University

Trans organising in the Nordic context has seen many distinct changes within the last 10-15 years. While some long-term networks persist, new initiatives continuously arise, and we can see a blend of stable as well as more shifting or temporary platforms for meeting and organising. The variety of lived experiences among trans people has also led to initiatives focusing on the specific needs of, for example, newly migrated people. Furthermore, while we have seen changes to the legal frameworks that govern the lives and bodies of trans adults, there has also been heightened negative public attention on gender nonconforming youth.

With this session, we want to explore some of the trajectories of these changes. While much attention is paid to the rapid decline in state and societal support in countries such as the US, UK and Hungary, what is the situation in the Nordic context? What are the local issues within the global landscape of anti-trans mobilizing? Which roles do trans joy and trans care play? What discussions and approaches do we or should we engage with as trans organisers or communities? Where are the fault lines and contentions? And what are our theoretical reference points for these conversations?

Presenters

●      Liv Izgi, Södertörn University, Sweden: Shadowed Agenda Setting and the Politics of Distortion: TERF Reactions to the “Saturday People” Controversy in Turkey

●      Sözen Baștürk, Roskilde University, Denmark: Radical, transformative potential of coalition-building toward trans*feminism

●      Nico Miskow Friborg, University of Stavanger, Norway: “Playing the political game” – Trans coalitions´ sceptical (dis)engagements with the state

●      Irina Schmitt, Lund University, Sweden: Understanding changes and trajectories in trans organizing in Sweden since 2010

Facilitators

Nico Miskow Friborg (they/them) is a Mad, queer, trans coalition organiser and PhD candidate at Centre for Gender Studies, University of Stavanger. Nico’s work explores t4t organising, coalition-building, and mundane trans care in Denmark, and is anchored in collective knowledge creation that contributes to trans liveability and collective trans liberation.

Luca Tainio (he/him) is a Doctoral Researcher at the University of Helsinki in Finland, and an Adjunct Lecturer at Karlstad University in Sweden. His research focuses on questions of transmasculinity and embodiment, as well as knowledge-production. Luca also works as the Editorial Secretary for NORMA: International Journal for Masculinity Studies.

Irina Schmitt (irina) teaches and researches in Gender Studies at Lund University, Sweden. Irina's research focuses on trans- and queer-feminist educational research with a focus on organizations where knowledge is produced and the national is inscribed, such as schools and colleges. Given current anti-trans politics, Irina hopes to explore trajectories in trans organizing  over the last decades.

The working group is open to non-participating audiences.