Trans people often don’t get to share their experiences and it’s common to come across news or articles about trans people, without their input. Trans Land, GayIceland’s newest podcast, gives trans people a platform to talk about their issues with someone who is also a part of the community.
The host of Trans Land is none other than the well known trans activist Ugla Stefanía Kristjönudóttir Jónsdóttir a.ka. Owl.
“Transland is a podcast series that focuses on trans people in Iceland, and some of the issues facing the community,” Ugla explains, when asked about the podcast. “In the podcast I explore issues connected to trans-related health care, young trans people, non-binary people, and the history of the trans movement in Iceland and how things have rapidly changed in recent decades.”
What kind of subject matter will you be dealing with?
“In this four part series I got guests to speak on a wide range of topics. I wanted to explore some of the issues we often hear about in the media. This led me to exploring trans related health care, both for adults and for teenagers. I also spoke with non-binary people about their experiences, but as anyone who speaks Icelandic knows, the language is incredibly binary and hasn’t always been accommodating for diversity in terms of gender. I also spoke with the first public trans person in Iceland about her experiences, and how the climate has changed from when she came out in the 90’s until now.”
“In this four part series I got guests to speak on a wide range of topics. I wanted to explore some of the issues we often hear about in the media.”
What will be the format of the podcast?
“It will be a four part series, where I speak with guests on a specific topic. The format is fairly relaxed and personal, and the conversation is mostly led on by the guests themselves and what they wish to share. I also share my experiences where relevant, and as a trans person it is really great to be able to have a deeper understanding of the issue.”
Have you done podcasts before?
“This is the first time I’m actually making a podcast, but I’ve often been a guest on podcasts and radio shows, so this is definitely a new experience for me!”
Is it in Icelandic and do you only speak to Icelandic people?
“I only speak with Icelandic trans people in the series, and 3 out of 4 shows are in English – the only one in Icelandic is where I speak to Anna Kristjánsdóttir who was the first public trans person in Iceland. We did this because she felt much more comfortable speaking in Icelandic.”
What are you doing to reach out to queer communities in Iceland for the podcast?
“Trans people often don’t get to share their experiences, and we so often see news or articles about trans people, without their input. This series gives trans people a chance to talk about their issues with someone who is also a part of the community. Hopefully it will not only reach other trans people, but the wider queer community and society in general, that will get a chance to listen to trans people talk about their experiences honestly and openly. I hope that people will like it and will share it far and wide on their social media channels so that people around the world can listen too!”
“Hopefully it will not only reach other trans people, but the wider queer community and society in general, that will get a chance to listen to trans people talk about their experiences honestly and openly.
What do you hope to bring as the host of Trans Land?
“As a trans person myself, I hope that people see that I bring something to the table which hosts that aren’t trans don’t – they don’t have the in depth experiences that I do, and therefore I can have conversations with other trans people on a different level, and we can be open and honest about our experiences without being afraid of being misunderstood or having to explain ourselves. I also bring in my own perspective and often share my experiences, and I hope people will see the importance of trans people developing trans related content.”
Can you give us hints about the first episode?
“The first episode will explore what its like to be a young trans person in Iceland, and how the system often forgets them and doesn’t necessarily know how to deal with them existence. It will combat some of the tired misconceptions about kids being rushed off to get hormones and surgeries, and is a down to earth conversation about what trans kids and teens need.”
‘Trans Land’ is brought to you by GayIceland and sponsored by the city of Reykjavík.