This thesis elaborates on the current practice and monopoly of the National Treatment Center for Transsexualism, which covers gender affirmative treatment through universal health care in Norway. This thesis examines this topic in the context of a broader debate regarding trans* people’s rights in Norway. This debate, which took place in multiple national newspapers, was incited by the decision of the Norwegian government to change the law regarding an individual’s right to change their legal gender in 2016. The debate was held between two main participants; The first group composed of critical voices who do not consider being trans* a real experience and the second group made up of trans* activists who defend the legitimacy of trans* experiences.
Elaborating on this debate in Norway, this thesis aims to answer the question of who should truly be acknowledged as experts on trans* issues. It argues, along with trans* activists, that the complex nature of gender identity renders “expert” perspectives that understand trans* people only through pathology an insufficient view. It is impossible to have complex conversations about trans* rights, treatment and experience in a pathologized framework as this approach is unable to account for the complexity of these conversations and leads to false conclusions. Intervening on this debate is an urgent project as conversations that primarily view trans as a disorder in need of cure contribute to the persistent lack of recognition trans* persons experience and, furthermore, undermine the agency of the group the conversation set out to help in the first place. Therefore, it argues, a shift of focus is desperately needed, because, intent aside, the consequences of the debate are being suffered by trans* people in Norway.
","abstract_html":"<p>This thesis elaborates on the current practice and monopoly of the National Treatment Center for Transsexualism, which covers gender affirmative treatment through universal health care in Norway. This thesis examines this topic in the context of a broader debate regarding trans* people’s rights in Norway. This debate, which took place in multiple national newspapers, was incited by the decision of the Norwegian government to change the law regarding an individual’s right to change their legal gender in 2016. The debate was held between two main participants; The first group composed of critical voices who do not consider being trans* a real experience and the second group made up of trans* activists who defend the legitimacy of trans* experiences.</p> <p>Elaborating on this debate in Norway, this thesis aims to answer the question of who should truly be acknowledged as experts on trans* issues. It argues, along with trans* activists, that the complex nature of gender identity renders “expert” perspectives that understand trans* people only through pathology an insufficient view. It is impossible to have complex conversations about trans* rights, treatment and experience in a pathologized framework as this approach is unable to account for the complexity of these conversations and leads to false conclusions. Intervening on this debate is an urgent project as conversations that primarily view trans as a disorder in need of cure contribute to the persistent lack of recognition trans* persons experience and, furthermore, undermine the agency of the group the conversation set out to help in the first place. Therefore, it argues, a shift of focus is desperately needed, because, intent aside, the consequences of the debate are being suffered by trans* people in Norway.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Krumsvik, Emilie Kristine"],"institution":"The Graduate School and University Center of The City University of New York","degree_name":"Master of Arts","degree_level":"Master","degree_discipline":"Women's and Gender Studies","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Dagmar Herzog"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2019,"date_issued":"2019-05-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2019-05-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:00:04Z","subjects":["Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration","Transgender","Politics of Recognition"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/3260","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Dagmar Herzog"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Krumsvik, Emilie Kristine"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2019-04-30T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Women's and Gender Studies"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Master"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Arts"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["The Graduate School and University Center of The City University of New York"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration","Transgender","Politics of Recognition"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/3260"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This thesis elaborates on the current practice and monopoly of the National Treatment Center for Transsexualism, which covers gender affirmative treatment through universal health care in Norway. This thesis examines this topic in the context of a broader debate regarding trans* people’s rights in Norway. This debate, which took place in multiple national newspapers, was incited by the decision of the Norwegian government to change the law regarding an individual’s right to change their legal gender in 2016. The debate was held between two main participants; The first group composed of critical voices who do not consider being trans* a real experience and the second group made up of trans* activists who defend the legitimacy of trans* experiences.
Elaborating on this debate in Norway, this thesis aims to answer the question of who should truly be acknowledged as experts on trans* issues. It argues, along with trans* activists, that the complex nature of gender identity renders “expert” perspectives that understand trans* people only through pathology an insufficient view. It is impossible to have complex conversations about trans* rights, treatment and experience in a pathologized framework as this approach is unable to account for the complexity of these conversations and leads to false conclusions. Intervening on this debate is an urgent project as conversations that primarily view trans as a disorder in need of cure contribute to the persistent lack of recognition trans* persons experience and, furthermore, undermine the agency of the group the conversation set out to help in the first place. Therefore, it argues, a shift of focus is desperately needed, because, intent aside, the consequences of the debate are being suffered by trans* people in Norway.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Gender Affirmative Monopoly: Who is \"Trans* Enough\" to Receive Gender Affirmative Treatment In Norway?"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Dagmar Herzog"],"dc:creator":["Krumsvik, Emilie Kristine"],"dc:date.available":["2019-04-30T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["This thesis elaborates on the current practice and monopoly of the National Treatment Center for Transsexualism, which covers gender affirmative treatment through universal health care in Norway. This thesis examines this topic in the context of a broader debate regarding trans* people’s rights in Norway. This debate, which took place in multiple national newspapers, was incited by the decision of the Norwegian government to change the law regarding an individual’s right to change their legal gender in 2016. The debate was held between two main participants; The first group composed of critical voices who do not consider being trans* a real experience and the second group made up of trans* activists who defend the legitimacy of trans* experiences.
Elaborating on this debate in Norway, this thesis aims to answer the question of who should truly be acknowledged as experts on trans* issues. It argues, along with trans* activists, that the complex nature of gender identity renders “expert” perspectives that understand trans* people only through pathology an insufficient view. It is impossible to have complex conversations about trans* rights, treatment and experience in a pathologized framework as this approach is unable to account for the complexity of these conversations and leads to false conclusions. Intervening on this debate is an urgent project as conversations that primarily view trans as a disorder in need of cure contribute to the persistent lack of recognition trans* persons experience and, furthermore, undermine the agency of the group the conversation set out to help in the first place. Therefore, it argues, a shift of focus is desperately needed, because, intent aside, the consequences of the debate are being suffered by trans* people in Norway.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/3260"],"dc:subject":["Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration","Transgender","Politics of Recognition"],"dc:title":["Gender Affirmative Monopoly: Who is \"Trans* Enough\" to Receive Gender Affirmative Treatment In Norway?"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Women's and Gender Studies"],"thesis:degree_level":["Master"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Arts"],"thesis:institution_name":["The Graduate School and University Center of The City University of New York"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:00:04Z"}