Jeanette Solstad (born 1949)

Translator's Note: This is a machine-assisted translation completed on June 2, 2025. While care has been taken to maintain accuracy, this translation has not yet undergone human review or validation.

Trans and human rights activist. Solstad was a prominent figure in Amnesty International’s campaign advocating for the right to self-determine one’s legal gender without medical intervention.

In the interview, Solstad recounts her upbringing in Ulsteinvik, where she faced significant challenges in being accepted for who she was. However, she found solace in the support of an aunt who provided her with a safe space.

Later, she pursued a career in the Armed Forces, serving from 1969 to 1982. During the final four years of her service, she held the position of submarine captain. She concluded her professional career as a state pilot before retiring. Solstad became a member of the Norwegian Association for Transgender People in 1986 and served as its leader for several years.

As an adult, Solstad applied to change her legal gender without undergoing surgical or hormonal treatment. Like all others in similar circumstances at the time, her application was denied. In collaboration with Amnesty International, she led a campaign advocating for the right to self-determine legal gender without medical requirements. This right was granted in Norway as of July 1, 2016.

In an excerpt from the interview, she reflects on the long and complex process of coming out as a transgender person and the challenges she encountered along the way.

The full interview is available in our reading room. Skeivt Arkiv met with Jeanette Solstad in Oslo, November 2018.