The claim that “men are men regardless of their sexual fetishes," and cannot be lesbians, has gotten a woman in Norway in hot water.
Tonje Gjevjon, an artist and herself a lesbian, was informed on November 17 that she was under police investigation for hate speech after making a post on Facebook*. She is now facing criminal charges and could even find herself behind bars for up to three years.
Gjevjon lashed out on social media against trans-identifying males who call themselves “lesbians.” She also raged against the trans activists who have targeted her and others who oppose their gender ideology.
“It’s just as impossible for men to become lesbian as it is for men to become pregnant,” Gjevjon wrote in her post, translated on the social media site, adding, “Men are men regardless of their sexual fetishes.”
The artist later explained that her post was motivated by a desire to bring attention to Norway’s hate speech law, which was changed in 2020. At the time, the country's parliament voted to make hate speech against individuals identifying as transgender illegal.
Tonje Gjevjon also singled out the personal attacks she had been subjected to from trans activists, in particular Norwegian trans activist, Christine Jentoft. The advisor on gender diversity for the Norwegian LGBT+ organization Foreningen FRI is a male who identifies as a lesbian mother. Jentoft is known for having filed a police complaint this year against Christina Ellingsen, a representative of Women’s Declaration International (WDI) Norway.
Jentoft was affronted by Ellingsen's statement that men can neither be lesbians nor mothers, with a police investigation launched into Ellingsen’s alleged “transphobia.” Similarly to Gjevjon, the person is currently facing the possibility of being sentenced to up to three years in prison if found guilty.
Twitter screenshot of account belonging to Tonje Gjevjon, a lesbian artist in Norway.
© Photo : Twitter
Reflecting on the attacks she had been subjected to by trans activists over her stance, such as being disavowed by the art world back in 2017 and having her exhibitions cancelled, Tonje Gjevjon told local media:
“I was not prepared for the extent of how queer organizations, politicians and activists would demonize a lesbian artist who was not in step. Trans activists contact people I work with, portraying me as hateful and warning against being associated with me.”
The creator of an all-lesbian art project, the Hungry Hearts, previously went on record as saying:
"I believe it is absolutely necessary to place biological sex as the basis in all contexts where sex has legal, cultural, or practical relevance, and that equating sex with gender identity has harmful, discriminatory consequences for women and girls – especially lesbians."
*Meta (Facebook and Instagram) is banned as an extremist organization in Russia.