The Northern Mirror Interview:
We recently talked with former Fargo resident, Rynn Willgohs regarding her experience seeking asylum abroad.
How you identify under the LGBTQIA2S+ umbrella?
I am a proud Transgender Woman.
Please tell us about yourself – what hobbies do you enjoy?
I love aerial silks and running.
As a human rights advocate – who/what do you fight for?
I advocate for all human rights, but Transgender safety, equity and equality are my primary focus.
Where did you come from & where did you go?
I moved to Fargo from Denver in 2008, and left there December 2nd, 2023. Initially I went to Iceland and was planning on declaring asylum there, but after talking with elected government officials, I decided to come east to Finland and process my asylum here.
Throughout your life have you had access to adequate support systems and community?
I would have to say absolutely not. I was probably born intersex, based on medical records I was able to get from my first week of life. This absolutely set the tone of my life with my parents, i.e. they were always hypervigilant about my behavior and anything I did that was considered ‘feminine’. In my early teen years I was sexually assaulted for probably close to a year, and then tried to let people know I was supposed to be a girl. This revelation was the reason I was ‘treated’ for 6 months at the state mental hospital to convince me I wasn’t, couldn’t, and never would be a girl. There is a reason conversion therapy and aversion therapy are deemed as torture by the United Nations. My treatments decimated my life for 35 years. Depression, suicide, addiction, failed relationships, bodily abuse, and brain washing to convince me that I am a closet pedophile were the direct result of these treatments I received. So no, I don’t feel I’ve ever had someplace safe, welcoming, or secure until I met my last spouse and started transitioning. Since then however I really feel like I actually belong in this world and deserve love, happiness, and security. My level of ambition is also a complete opposite of my life ‘pretending to be a boy’.
Do you have personal experiences with acceptance and discrimination in America?
My trans experience is relatively new. Actually my 3rd year ‘tranniversary’ is March 31st. But I have experienced a lot of hate, terror, and discrimination in those 3 years. The most outrageous in my opinion is the medical care discrimination I dealt with getting my last two surgeries. The surgical urologists in Fargo at Essentia Health refused to perform my last surgery and the revision, so I had to go to Essentia in Duluth to get them done. Surprisingly there have been only a few discrimination stories I have about Fargo area businesses. Most of the businesses I purposely ‘tested’ were surprisingly welcoming and very friendly, i.e. Scheels and Victoria’s Secret were both amazing places for me to shop and try on clothes before I bought them.
What are some ways you found engagement in-community within the Fargo metro?
I kind of hit the ground running as soon as I started transitioning. I have a gift for socializing and networking. I joined every board and organization I could get into, such as FM PCCC, the ND Cass Co Dems, and the ND BeYou panel. I went to every single demonstration and protest I heard about. I am a firm believer in intersectionality being the way to make things change faster and get more people involved.
Have you experienced changes in societal attitudes towards LGBTQ+ individuals in the US over the years? How so?
The negative connotations surrounding trans peeps and our allies labeling us all as pedophiles is making it really hard to take a public stand. Everybody literally hates a child predator. Txxxx’s open disdain and completely idiotic form of politics has opened the floodgates to make discrimination a desired and responsive trait for political gains. It was so nice up to the overturning of Roe v Wade, the overturning of Bostock v Clayton County (which changed the legal protections for gender identity and sexual orientation), and a very coordinated effort by Alliance Defending Freedom and the Heritage Foundation with the last legislative session. I remember reading the North Dakota bills and feeling such a sense of dread and feeling targeted by my own government. As an individual person, it was horrifying. I am also very negative in my hope that things will get better in my lifetime. I think they are going to escalate until they legislate us into jails for bathrooms, bully us into suicide and mental hospitals, terrorize us until we hide. Like CPAC speaker Michael Knowles said, eradicate us from existence.
Please describe your struggles as an asylum seeker from America.
I actually have enjoyed my time here in europe. I’ve been staying in girls’ dorms at the cheapest hostels I can find. I spent two weeks in Reykjavik, two weeks in Oslo, three days in Stockholm, now I’m in Helsinki. I saved enough money to be able to live off of, so I have been able to stay out of homeless shelters, and the reception center for asylum seekers. There are lots of apps here to almost give away food from restaurants so nothing gets thrown away. The biggest hurdle for me was actually going to the police station and declaring asylum. I was so scared I was going to be treated badly, locked up, victimized or not be treated with dignity. Luckily I met another immigrant from Latvia who’s been here eight years. He took the day off work and went with me, telling me the whole time I was being ridiculous. Martin was correct. The two female police officers were so sympathetic, and accommodating, not what I was expecting or used to, with exceptions in the Fargo PD. I’m pretty sure the immigration department here tried to fast track a denial, but thanks to a social worker at the reception center, I now have a lawyer and she had my interview for asylum canceled. I feel so welcome and valid in this society, it’s literally like being on another planet compared to the open hostility I have experienced in my daily life. I can legally start working May 28th and I have an apartment being loaned to me for six weeks from my new friend Saara. It seems like the system here is very serving and not just providing. I’ve had to use government services before in the USA and if you don’t know something, no one offers to provide anything. Here the reception center staff have made it very clear what services they offer and are always asking if I need anything. It just feels so different in my opinion.
Please describe some of the joys!
When I realized I was trans I was in the process of losing weight so I was actually WANTING to be healthier and more attractive, so I started running 5 km a day, dieting from 360 lbs to 190 lbs, being able to wear my first size 8 jeans. Seeing my body change from a testosterone person to an estrogen based being. The opening of my emotional mind. Seeing my surgeries help align my body with the mental image of how I think I should look.
Have you experienced significant societal differences between countries?
Yes! Most people here are multilingual. The metric system. The geo-political understanding here is greater among most people. For example the war here is so far removed from the USA, but people here are very worried about Russia escalating further actions after the next election. Also the propaganda coming out of the States is so concealing to the actual existence for most people in the USA. When I show people the anti-trans legislation tracker, they are genuinely surprised. Not so surprising, Trump is seen as a real buffoon over here. However, the conservative movement is catching on even over here, as well as the horrible politics, i.e. the last election was two parts, the second part involved a green party candidate and a conservative. The attack ads pointed out that the green candidate Peka was not right for president simply because he is a gay man. People here are calm, laid back, and very polite.
During your travels, did you meet anyone who inspired or motivated you?
I have had conversations and still do with multiple elected officials from Iceland, Norway, and Finland. I’ve met activists from MIGZUL, freemovement.org, and immigration activists from Poland. It’s hard to pick just one but I would have to say my new boyfriend Rurik. He is a constant source of inspiration and motivation to keep this struggle going. It is a struggle, the fear of being returned to a country that can’t/won’t protect me until after something happens is very scary and the uncertainty can be very anxiety inducing.
Often when we think of hostels, we imagine students in their 20s living a carefree Bohemian lifestyle abroad – what was your experience like?
Most of the people I have met are probably under 30 and traveling, yes, but there are so many older people also traveling, citizens waiting for an apartment to be renovated, other activists traveling on the cheap to events. The places I have stayed are very clean, safe, and accommodating even for an extended stay like mine, two and a half months. If you enjoy meeting new people and don’t want to just camp out alone in a motel room, a hostel basically forces you to engage with new people almost daily. And this girl loves meeting new peeps!
Given your experience, are there resources (websites/phone numbers) you can provide to folks seeking a way out of America?
Research your family tree for repatriation to Europe. Read the united nations special section on LGBTQIA2S+ asylum rules. https://www.unhcr.org/sites/default/files/legacy-pdf/51de6e5f9.pdf
It also actually depends on which country you go to for asylum. Starting next year when they implement the travel visa from the USA, you’re going to want to apply for the travel papers from your target country as they will end up being responsible for your asylum case per the Dublin Agreement. There is so much to this process it’s hard to put into a few bullet points. As far as I know TRANSport is currently the only org helping people leave the USA, and we’ve kind of been on hiatus while I’m going through this process in Finland. The governments in the country you are applying through will make sure you have money, housing, and food. Plus medical, mental, and dental care.
What would you say to those that feel they have no choice but to stay?
Please try to be safe, stay strong. Embrace your community and get people to vote. If someone wants to leave but is scared to, that’s valid and totally fair. This is probably one of the scariest things I have ever done, but as soon as I got on that plane for Iceland in December I absolutely refuse to surrender and give up. If they are worried about not being able to accomplish it, they might be surprised by the willingness and generosity of people in these queer-safe countries.
What one piece of advice would you give to a younger you?
This is a loaded question! I think my mind always goes to the ‘I wish I’d transitioned earlier’ but realistically it wouldn’t have happened like it has, and honestly I truly love who I am and how I look. I guess I would tell myself that ‘your time of empowerment, success, and acceptance is coming. It’s gonna take your breath away in a very short period of time and in a monumentally profound way. You are going to make such a positive impact on people’s lives,
hang in there girl.’
RRCC 