A recent attack on a transgender man at a downtown club in Reykjavik has brought the attention to a broken legislative and constitutional framework protecting transgender people in Iceland. A new constitutional draft which was originally put forward by a constitutional committee last year did not include sexual identity in it. Sexual orientation is included in the new draft but that is simply not enough. If this will be the end results, transgendered Icelanders will be left without much needed protection.
Samtökin '78, The National Queer Organization, sent a press release following the incident reminding fellow citizens of the importance of constitutional protection for transgender Icelanders. The National Queer Organization has organized a meeting with the government-appointed constitutional committee as well as members of the Icelandic Parliament to address the importance of the issue and to include sexual identity in the new constitutional draft which is expected to be put to public vote later this year. What the end results will be is uncertain. Hopefully the recent incident will be an eye opener to those who felt constitutional protections based on sexual identity was not needed. We know it is needed.
The article draft on Equality in Chapter II. Human Rights: "We are all equal before the law and shall enjoy human rights without discrimination, such as sex, age, genotype, geographic location, economic, disability, sexual orientation, race, color, opinion, politics, relationships, religion, language or social origin property, birth or other status. Men and women shall enjoy equal rights in all respects."
