Sweden Gets First Trans Minister – Lina Axelsson Kihlblom
Image: Lina Axelsson Kihlblom
Sweden made history, when the country’s first female聽Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson recently named 51-year-old Lina Axelsson Kihlblom as the country’s new Schools Minister. Kihblom is the first transgender government minister in not only Sweden but all of Scandinavia.
鈥淭his is a huge and exciting task and I鈥檓 ready to take it on,” Kihblom said at a press conference on last week.
Before her entry into politics, Kihlblom was known for achieving a great deal of success through her work as a principal.
Especially notable was her three year employment at Ronnaskolan, a Swedish elementary school known for struggling with disadvantaged students. During her time 聽here, Kihlblom raised the school鈥檚 so-called high school eligibility rate from 55 percent to 75 percent.聽
Coming Out As Trans
Kihlblom’s coming out journey began with a doctor鈥檚 visit when she was 19. She was by law forced to undergo a mandatory sterilisation when she underwent gender affirmation surgery in 1995.
鈥淚 went through a surgery where the state made sure that none of my unique genes would ever be reproduced. I remember there were tears but I did not know if it was tears of pain or because I was so enormously humiliated鈥�, she had told Swedish .
In 2007 and 2008 she adopted her two kids with ex-husband Roger Kihlblom.
The former school principal and lawyer published a book in 2015 titled 鈥淲ill You Love Me Now?鈥� describing her childhood as a girl trapped in a boy鈥檚 body. The following year, the book won the 鈥淏ook of the Year鈥� award at Sweden鈥檚 Gaygala.
New Government Of Several 鈥淔irsts鈥�
A transgender minister is not the only first that the new regime added to the history books.聽
After former prime minister Stefan L枚fven lost a confidence vote in parliament in June, Swedish lawmakers appointed Magdalena Andersson as the new leader of the country – a move that makes her Sweden鈥檚 first female prime minister.聽
鈥淪weden is a fantastic country. There is a lot to be proud of about Sweden. But it is also clear to me that we are facing several serious issues. Now, I am ready to lead a government that takes the necessary measures to solve Sweden鈥檚 issues,鈥� the Prime Minister wrote in an Instagram post.
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