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Harry Benjamin Ressurssenter and transgender people

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Harry Benjamin Ressurssenter [Harry Benjamin Resource Center] (HBRS) is a conservative transgender Norwegian organization. While HBRS has provided support for trans and gender diverse people, HBRS also promotes transmedicalism and strict gatekeeping models of care for trans healthcare.

HBRS is in the minority among trans people in endorsing centralized state-funded care. HBRS also advises against going outside the national healthcare system for care, despite the gatekeeping and waitlists.

HBRS executive director Mikael Scott Bjerkeli spoke on a panel at the 2024 conference organized by anti-trans hate group Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine (SEGM). Moderated by SEGM co-founder Zhenya Abbruzzese, the panel also included Anne Wæhre, Erica Anderson, Jamie Reed, Ken Zucker, and Riittakerttu Kaltiala.

HBRS also promotes a number of ex-trans organizations, including:

Background

The organization was founded as Landsforeningen for transseksuelle [National Association for Transsexuals] (LFTS) on January 9, 2000. Trans sociologist Tone Maria Hansen is credited as the central founding figure.

In 2002, the organization helped bring about a new law that allowed trans people to change their legal names before receving medical treatment. They also helped get coverage under the National Insurance Act for care outside the so-called “triadic therapies” (hormones, bottom surgery, and “real life test”). Coverage was expanded over the next decade to include hair removal, prosthetics, and medical devices.

In April 2005, they changed their name to Landsforeningen for transkjønnete [National Association for Transgender People]. In Spring 2009, they changed their name to Harry Benjamin Ressurssenter [Harry Benjamin Resource Center], stating:

“After a few more years, we became aware that by saying that we were transgender, that was what we were seen as, not as men or women. We therefore wanted to get a new name for the association that was not experienced as an identity. But was open to interpretation, and that each member could define themselves. It was also nice to get a name that people wondered about, that way they asked questions instead of assuming.”

HBRS has also held healthcare conferences, organized youth camps, and participated in media projects about trans and gender diverse people. Tone Maria Hansen has earned many accolades for this work, including the Kongens fortjenstmedalje [King’s Medal of Merit] and an award from WPATH.

Harry Benjamin Resource Centre – Europe

In February 2010, several people associated with HBRS founded Harry Benjamin Resource Centre – Europe “to create a professional European community around the diagnosis of transsexualism.” Most of the board members were from Norway, with the exceptions of Richard Green (UK) and an unnamed member from an “EU country.”

Board

  • Ira Haraldsen: psychiatrist at Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet
  • [unnamed]: member of Norsk forening for klinisk sexologi [Norwegian Association for Clinical Sexology] (NFKS)
  • Olav Bendiksby: psychologist, Institutt for Klinisk Sexologi og Terapi [Insitute for Clinical Sexology and Therapy] (IKST)
  • Richard Green: psychiatrist, England
  • Tone Maria Hansen: sociologist and chief staff officer without vote at Harry Benjamin Ressurssenter (HBRS)

Deputy board

  • Mikael Bjerkeli: social worker at Harry Benjamin Ressurssenter (HBRS)
  • [unnamed]: member from “EU country”

HBRC – Europe announced a conference to be held in Oslo in September 2012, but HBRC – Europe appears to have discontinued soon after, and the website was no longer available.

The event occurred in 2013 and was called HBRS Landskonferanse 2013- 50 år med behandling [HBRS National Conference 2013: 50 years of treatment].

Conflicts with progressive organizations

In 2014, HBRS criticized Amnesty Norway for its coverage of trans people who have undergone surgery.

In 2017, HBRS executive director stated in an opinion piece urging gatekeeping and criticizing transition outside the state healthcare system:

“Our advice is to proceed slowly. Explore with the child and professionals. Medical treatment must be done in consultation with the public service at OUS. Treatment outside is a violation of the National Treatment Service for Transsexualism.”

Since around 2010, HBRS has received significant operating funding from Barne-, ungdoms- og familiedirektoratet [Directorate for Children, Youth and Families] (Bufdir). HBRS is one of the largest recipients of Bufdir’s grant scheme. Despite the funding, HBRS has on several occasions disagreed with Bufdir’s work and guidelines. HBRS has expressed concern that Bufdir’s advice on gender diversity and their reports on gender incongruence may contribute to polarization, and HBRS is critical of the affirmative approach to drug and surgical treatment for children and adolescents. Starting around 2020, as Norwegian debates intensified around youth transition care, informed consent models, and criticism of Rikshospitalet’s gender clinic, HBRS increasingly positioned itself in opposition from activist-oriented organizations such as Foreningen for kjønns- og seksualitetsmangfold [Organization for Sexual and Gender Diversity] (FRI) and some trans-rights campaigners.

In 2023, HBRS withdrew from a report by Nordlandsforskning [Nordland Research Center] that noted the conservative clinical position taken by HBRS:

“When it comes to the organization of health care for people with gender incongruence, for example related to the function of the national treatment service and a more decentralized health care service, the report’s recommendations show that the expert group is divided: The majority wanted to make changes to the existing treatment regime in the direction of a more decentralized health care service, while a minority, consisting of NBTK and the Harry Benjamin Resource Center (HBRS), believed that the health care service at NBTK should be strengthened (Directorate of Health, 2015, pp. 136-137).”

HBRS claimed the Nordlandsforskning report lacked credibility, noting the roles of trans activist Luca Dalen Espseth and the organization FRI in shaping the report.

HBRS has also had conflicts with Pasientorganisasjon for Kjønnsinkongruens [Patient Organization for Gender Incongruence] (PKI).

References

Amsrud, Sander Sebastian (March 2, 2026). Transorganisasjon advarer mot å «designe» adferd: – Offentlige ansatte trenger kunnskap, ikke styring. Subjekt https://subjekt.no/2026/03/02/hbrs-kritiserer-bufdir-adferdsdesign/

Brandvold, Ase (October 28, 2024). Inviterer til transdialog [Inviting trans dialogue]. Klassekampen https://klassekampen.no/artikkel/2024-10-28/inviterer-til-transdialog/33T4d

Langeland, Fredrik; Gulli, Marianne; Rigtrup-Lindeman, Birgitte (2023). Likeverdig helsehjelp for personer med kjønnsinkongruens [Equal health care for people with gender incongruence]. Nordlandsforskning [Nordland Research Insititute] https://cms.bufdir.no/siteassets/rapporter/lhbt/Likeverdig_helsehjelp_for_personer_med_kjonnsinkongruens.pdf

Edvardsen, Ingvild; Omland, Ellen (October 4, 2023). Trakk seg fra rapport om kjønnsinkongruens [Withdrawn from gender incongruence report]. NRK https://www.nrk.no/norge/kritisk-til-rapport-om-kjonnsinkongruens-1.16565415

Hanssen, Sturla Smári (December 16, 2022). Kjønnsdebatten er vond og polarisert [The gender debate is bitter and polarized]. Dagsavisen https://www.dagsavisen.no/nyheter/kjonnsdebatten-er-vond-og-polarisert/6860579

Decaen, Mathilde; Sørlie, Aleksander (February 11, 2020). Vi tar personer med kjønnsinkongruens på alvor [We take people with gender incongruence seriously]. https://www.blikk.no/harry-benjamin-ressurssenter-hbrs-mathilde-decaen/vi-tar-personer-med-kjonnsinkongruens-pa-alvor/184763

Cowan, Zagria (April 15, 2011). The Harry Benjamin Resource Centre Europe. A Gender Variance Who’s Who https://zagria.blogspot.com/2011/04/harry-benjamin-resource-centre-europe.html

Writing by HBRS members

Hansen, Tone Maria; Solvang, Benjamin; Nilsen, Sonja (February 5, 2020). Angrere må tas på alvor [Regretters must be taken seriously]. https://www.blikk.no/harry-benjamin-ressurssenter-hbrs-pasientorganisasjonen-for-kjonnsinkongruens/angrere-ma-tas-pa-alvor/184712

Bjerkeli, Mikael Scott (September 22, 2017). Kjønnsidentitet er ikke svart/hvitt [Gender identity is not black and white]. Sykepleien https://sykepleien.no/meninger/innspill/2017/09/kjonnsidentitet-er-ikke-svarthvitt

Resources

Wikipedia (no.wikipedia.org)

Harry Benjamin Ressurssenter (hbrs.no)

  • former name: Landsforeningen for transseksuelle (lfts.no) [archive]

Harry Benjamin Resource Centre – Europe (hbrceurope.org) [archive]

  • other url: hbrc-europe.org [archive]