August Joensalo: F64.8 - Other gender identity disorder
Finnish law continues to define nonbinary and trans people as suffering from “identity disorders”. Nonbinary and trans people who require healthcare services like surgical or hormonal treatment as part of their gender affirming process have to undergo a psychiatric examination process that lasts several years. Medical treatment is granted only after a psychiatrist has diagnosed the person in question with a “gender identity disorder”.
The Trans Clinic aka Gender Identity Clinic is the gatekeeper for gender affirming treatments in Finland. The Trans Clinic defines being trans or nonbinary based on gender dysphoria, specifically body dysphoria. The Trans Clinic has been criticized about its emotionally violent examination methods, lack of expertise, arbitrary decision making, and waiting times of several years, which is in direct violation of the Finnish Treatment Time Guarantee law.
The examination process takes several years. It is based on dozens of interviews and tests where trans people have to prove to the doctors, nurses and psychologists that they are indeed trans. To get the diagnosis required for the treatments they need, trans people have to talk to the medical personnel about their sex life, genitalia, and any emotional trauma they might have. If one gives “correct” answers, the process goes forward, but any “wrong” answers might either halt the process for several years or put a stop to it altogether.
The current trans law is in violation of trans people’s human rights. This will not change until trans people can make their own decisions concerning their own bodies.
F64.8 – Other gender identity disorder is a fifteen-minute video art piece by August Joensalo. The artwork considers trans healthcare in Finland from a first-hand perspective. During a three-year-long examination process, the artist has progressed to the diagnosis level and hereby unlocked access to hormone replacement therapy. After that, they still have to wait at least eighteen months before they can get a mastectomy (chest masculinization surgery).
The artwork introduces two different attitudes towards and ways of talking about transness: discussions that the artist had with a member of the Trans Clinic staff, and discussions that they had with their partner. These discussions present a juxtaposition of the violence of the gatekeeping system with the mutual solidarity and love of trans communities.
August Joensalo (b. 1993) is a Finnish and Karelian filmmaker, artist & writer. Their practice is centered on the idea of building an archive of a personal and communal queer life, while celebrating trans resilience, joy and existence. Joensalo is interested in telling stories about memories, time, embodiment, play, dreams & utopian thinking. Joensalo holds a BA in film directing from Aalto University (2018) as well as a MFA from HDK-Valand (2021) in filmmaking.︎ August Joensalo
DIAGNOSIS
PVF 202431.1.–5.5.2024
The Finnish Museum of Photography