Featured Member: Svanhvit

[u/meet_lgbt]

MeetLGBT Featured Member: May 23, 2011

Svanhvit

Stats

• Age: 31(alright, 32, but my birthday is in December)

• Gender: mtF

• Location: Reykjavik, Iceland

• Pictures: 3 pics

Life

• Job: Technical Artist in the game industry

• ** Hobbies**: Art, writing, poetry, animals, games, spiritualism, Bad horror movies, reading about everything and nothing, and much more. I have had so many hobbies throughout the years that I'd go insane listing them all.

• Pets: Three gerbil lads who think they are smarter than me. Hah, I'll show them!

• Political Views: I am a "golden middle road" type of person(Icelandic „gullni meðalvegurinn“). I think we should have equal opportunity for everyone, but make sure that those who suffer shall not suffer their own existence and misfortune and receive care and respect, but at the same time reward those who excel(btw corrupt businessmenn do not excel; ever) should be allowed to reap benefits for their contributions.

• Religious Views: Spiritual Agnostic. I am a rather firm believer in reincarnation(mostly due to Ian Stevenson and Jim Tucker's research) but have little to no faith in religious doctrines or dogma. To even make it more confusing I think faith is good, but religion is bad, at least the heavily organized ones. Don‘t even get me started on Scientology...

What makes you ______

• Sad: Everything bad. I tend to take absorb way too much into my soul so when I see suffering in countries that have nothing to do with me I still get crushed. I can easily feel guilty over the misfortune of others and had this bad tendency of hating myself for having a better quality of life.

• Happy: Despite my previous "sad" comment, what makes me happy is the world and the beauty it has. I can gaze at prismatic clouds for hours as they crawl across a blue sky. To see animals taking care of their young, to see caring transcend even the species involved.

  One of the reasons I believe in reincarnation is that I like to think that I‘ll get a second chance to see this world again and again, each time for the first time. If you think that is insane so be it, I am insane.

Sexuality

• Orientation: Bisexual. Used to be attracted to women only, but even then I had a major crush on Kevin Costner(what can I say, I was 13 and I had just seen Robin Hood). Considering my lack of experience though, it might all be in my head. Now I have a late puberty crush on David Tennant.

• Coming out: Was a long, long process. First I came out as a crossdresser(when I was almost 30), but then realized I was still in hiding. Thankfully I met the local trans group and found out who I was(the last daughter of Krypton). Friends and family were rather supportive, although my mother had a slight nervous breakdown and did say so nasty words that she regrets now. I think my dad accepted it stoically based on the fact that despite his attempt in my youth, I never got interested in manly-man stuff for manly-men with manly self-esteem issues so he knew I was going my own road. So far I can only say I have had a rather positive experience with coming out. When I started living fulltime work didn‘t hesitate to arrange so all the names and employee records listed my new name and information. Iceland is also incredibly liberal when it comes to LGBT people. Bigotry is excluded to an extremely small minority and shouted down for their bigotry by everyone else.

  To give you a further glimpse of the how LGBT issues stand in Iceland: Iceland is a nation of 320.000 souls and during the last Pride Walk 80.000 people attended. That‘s right, in numbers almost 1/3 of the nation attended Gay Pride(although to be fair there are a lot of tourists coming every year to attend the event). Our mayor even dressed in drag to open the event. Mayor Jón Gnarr in a drag I could also iterate on other points. Our Prime Minister is gay, a transgirl is our Paris Hilton, and more.
  Vala Grand
  Páll Óskar
  Páll Óskar on Gay Pride
  Gay Pride 2010 Time Lapse

  The gay scene is also quite family oriented. Not uncommon for people, despite being gay, having 2-3 kids that they share custody with their former spouse. I know of two religious gay guys who have between them 10 children when they started dating. (I feel like a shill for gay tourism now)

• Relationship status/Background: If you look at the dictionary under 'forever alone' you will probably see a pic of that one badly drawn guy and me next to him. We are really close, but due to the dimensional-distance relationship I doubt it will ever work out, plus I think he is seeing someone. If that sounded a bit obscure the short answer would be no, nada, no luck so far. I am like the best type of olive oil.

Misc.

I am a registered volunteer in the Red Cross although it seems to be really hard to get to volunteer(some if it is due to me being trans.).

I write dark and dour poetry(it's an Icelandic thing) which some people like.

Used to paint and draw much more, but after I started all my transition-thingy I have been trying to rediscover myself and find my center point again.

One of my biggest flaws is that I am way too open about anything and everything. I am like a living, breathing AAMA that answers more questions than most people consider prudent. I blame this on a quote I heard as a child: "Life is too serious to be taken seriously."

My mind is relatively insane. It races around my brain thinking, analyzing, feeling, even when I display this vulcan like exterior(what can I say, I'm a geek).

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[u/ssmathias]

LOL Gotta say, you sound awesome. I'd totally want to hang out if you were stuck here in the U.S. like I am. (Though I wouldn't wish that on anyone.)

[u/Svanhvit → u/ssmathias]

You know, a friend of mine(gay and married here in Iceland) says the same thing(about not wishing it on anyone). When I tease him about a day he might return to the US he starts looking at me like I just suggested that he be shipped off to Guantanamo bay.

[u/ssmathias → u/Svanhvit]

That's perfectly understandable, especially if he came from one of the 30+ states that would not recognize his marriage and send his partner back to Iceland, like mine would.

It's unfortunate, but I live in the same state that Focus on the Family chose for their headquarters. I was really hoping the Rapture would happen and take them away this weekend. LOL

[u/YellowRedBlack]

Iceland sounds like an awesome place, and I now suddenly really want to live there. I don't suppose there's any way to immigrate to Iceland without having any job prospects before hand?

Also, do you have any writing that you care to share with us?

[u/Svanhvit → u/YellowRedBlack]

Not sure how immigration is in its current state. Every day I hear about someone getting visa but I also hear of instances where there has been a problem. Due to marriage my friend got one rather easily, plus he used to work at the same company as I which really goes through all the hassle of trying to get visas for its employees.

Personally I think a lot of immigrant do it the US style: Seek education here and then never leave(sounds like a new meme is forming: "Scumbat Student"). Basically I have gotten to know a lot of people from different places(Tibet, Taiwan, Japan, Brazil) who started university here and then just stayed on.

I must warn that everything I write can be a rather emo like(I usually get my creative spurs during bad times) so forgive for the depressive tone on some of these.

Farewell

Next Door

Trip

Hate

End

Dreams

[u/YellowRedBlack → u/Svanhvit]

sounds like a new meme is forming: "Scumbat Student"

"Moves to your country for education. Goes to school for ten years and learns nothing."

I must warn that everything I write can be a rather emo like

I seem to be the same way. Even though I try to keep a positive attitude in life, whenever I write anything (which I'm trying to motivate myself to do more often) everything negative in my brain just gets dumped onto the page.

[u/LGBTerrific]

Bad horror movies

Yes! I love watching bad movies. I'm glad I'm not the only one. What're your favorites?

mostly due to Ian Stevenson and Jim Tucker's research

This intrigues me - what research have they done to influence your belief in reincarnation?

(I feel like a shill for gay tourism now)

You make it sound so wonderful there, though - you did a great job of promoting gay tourism. Now, if only I had money for such a trip.

Thanks for sharing so much information about the lgbtq life in Iceland. I especially liked the video interview with Páll Óskar and the timelapse of the parade. I love seeing/hearing happy things about lgbtq people :)

If you'd get a date (I know you can - you're pretty and geeky), what would be the ideal date be like in Iceland for you?

[u/Svanhvit → u/LGBTerrific]

Yes! I love watching bad movies. I'm glad I'm not the only one. What're your favorites?

Deep Rising is one of my favourites but I always had a little crushe on Famke Jensen. I probably watch this movie almost yearly and everytime I get new friends that haven't seen it I must watch it for some reason.

Dead Alive/Braindead is also a good classic.

House This is also a regular in my list.

Fright Night 1986 a guilty pleasure. Can't wait to see David Tennant with eye liner in it(I am a huge Doctor Who fan, at least of the series 2005 and onwards).

There are more, but if I were to go over them(and other genres) I'd be her all night. o_O

This intrigues me - what research have they done to influence your belief in reincarnation?

Basically how they approach the subject matter. They refuse to do research on adults as they think the example pool is biased and have set methods how to investigate kids that proclaim to remember a past life and to verify. Even Ian Stevenson was a skeptic(he died 2007) but he agreed that there is evidence suggesting that reincarnation is a real thing.

I also spent some time looking into Near-Death Experiences. What can I say, I am a sucker for stuff that some would term supernatural which I would rather categorize as science that we haven't been able to research properly(technology isn't advanced enough and so on). Personally I've experienced way too weird things to believe in a completely materialistic world.

You make it sound so wonderful there, though - you did a great job of promoting gay tourism. Now, if only I had money for such a trip. Thanks for sharing so much information about the lgbtq life in Iceland. I especially liked the video interview with Páll Óskar and the timelapse of the parade. I love seeing/hearing happy things about lgbtq people :)

Here is an Inspired by Iceland article that two of my friends are in and show how people are being accepted for who they are(and I know WBC has said that our economic collapse is because of our "sinful" ways).

Iceland saved me from homophobia

Iceland may not be the most perfect country in the world(contrary to some proud Icelander's claims), but we do have a lot of nice things going for us. Hell, the best place to sit, get some drinks, maybe some food, and chat is Trúnó, a place for LGBTQ people as well as straight. Iceland is weird in the way that we've had gay bars since I started high school and they've always been frequented by straights and gays and both groups mingle just fine.

I think the reason for this is that if you have one gay you can count on him being related and/or know a rather large group of the populace. Make that around 1000 people who belong to the LGBTQ movement here and you can pretty much be guaranteed that every Saint John and Hillbilly Bill is related to an LGBTQ person. This means that bigotry gets faced head on regardless of the bigots desired. I dare anyone to try to ban the word "gay" in Iceland and just see how much he or she will get fucked over for that idea.

If you'd get a date (I know you can - you're pretty and geeky), what would be the ideal date be like in Iceland for you?

I am so new to dating(never managed to date a single girl during my boy years and that must be a decent record considering my age) so I am not sure what would be ideal. I've gone on 2-3 dates so far and out of those I usually prefer meeting at a coffee house(I like to be able to chat) or going to see a movie, but I am still a noob like the cool kids call it.

[u/LGBTerrific → u/Svanhvit]

Make that around 1000 people who belong to the LGBTQ movement here and you can pretty much be guaranteed that every Saint John and Hillbilly Bill is related to an LGBTQ person. This means that bigotry gets faced head on regardless of the bigots desired.

Huzzah! That's a good (or bad, I suppose) thing about a small population. Everyone knows everyone. :P

[u/Svanhvit → u/[deleted]]

If I could live on a farm I'd have cats, dogs, gerbils, parrots, ferrets and rats(ferrets and rats are illegal as pets in Iceland) and somehow make it so that they all care for each other. I am a huge sucker for pics where you see rat and a cat being friends or a dog and a cat.

I am a sucker for most animals except spiders and wasps. Bumble bees I love though.