Ninnileo Daelander is pregnant and has almost half time. He is bugs, which means he identifies himself as both man and woman, but Ninnileo prefers “he” as pronouns. He will call himself dad and his girl, Elina, will call himself mom.
– I am pleasantly surprised and happy when I read texts at 1177 where they write “a supporting parent” or “a leading parent” instead of using a gender terminology.
In February, an investigation was presented with a proposal for a new abortion law. The inquiry was commissioned to review the legislation with regard to medical development. One of the suggestions was to exchange “woman” with “the one who is pregnant”. This is because it was only women who gave birth to children when the law was written. Now there are also people with legal male gender who give birth to children.
Women’s organization strongly critical of the change
But the umbrella organization Sweden’s women’s organizations is strongly critical of it. They believe that it would invisible women’s vulnerability and that the woman’s role is reduced to a function.
– Women not only want to be included, but women want to be a part of. We do not think it is inclusive to exclude women from the language, says Susannah Sjöberg, secretary general of Sweden’s women’s organizations.
But Ninnileo Daelander thinks it is a non-issue because even women are included in the concept of “the one who is pregnant”.
– It’s not that I think women must not be women. Or that I deny that the majority of all people who carry children are women. But I think it is important to protect all people, he says and continues:
– Being pregnant is not about women. It is about a person who carries children. And that the child grows in that person. And then that child should come out, or it should be aborted. That’s what it’s all about and I don’t see the danger in it.
The word woman remains – “tragic”
After the debate, the time parties have now gone out and said that one will not go ahead with the proposal and that the word “woman” will remain. This is what Ninnileo Daelander thinks is “tragic”.
– It is not about whether transgender people should get secure abortions or not. Without this, it is about whether the time parties think that transgender people exist. And obviously we do it because I’m sitting here and I’m pregnant. Now thankfully we found out three days ago that we should have a healthy child, but the risk was great that it was not. And I would like to be included in a law that protects me.
Do you really think that someone who does not define themselves as a woman would be denied an abortion in Sweden?
– The risk exists, I would say. That risk should not exist.
Ninnileo Daelander thinks it should be able to stand both woman and the one who is pregnant in the new abortion legislation – to include everyone.
– But I’m not going to see women as my enemies because I’m a trans person. Because they are not. We have gone through the same experiences and we have the same internal organs that need to be protected in the same way. I understand that you are protective about it and afraid of it and new things are scary. So it is. I just thought more than that.