The trans woman Elisabeth Meling has been elected as the new leader of the party Sentrum. Meling is the first transgender person to lead a political party in Norway.
Meling takes over the position from the former Arbeiderpartiet politician Geir Lippestad, who has been party leader since he founded the left-leaning and immigration-enthusiastic party in 2020, together with breakaway members from Kristelig Folkeparti.
Elisabeth Meling originally comes from Karmøy, has been affiliated with the Pentecostal movement, and works on a daily basis with the development of hospital IT platforms in Helse Vest.
Meling is a biological man with gender dysphoria, born in 1978, who has dressed as and lived out the role of a “lesbian woman” since 2016.
The newly elected party leader has his political background as 2nd deputy leader of the party, county leader of Sentrum Vestland, lead candidate for the county council election in 2023 and third candidate for the municipal election in Bergen.
Just under a year ago, Meling said in an interview with TV2 that he began experimenting with dresses in secret as a 6-year-old.
– I myself struggled with depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts because of the discomfort that the gender dysphoria gave me. The constant discomfort was a true hell, Meling told Vårt Land in 2023.
The party leader also served as chair of Skeivt kristent nettverk from 2021 to 2025.
– I am both moved and grateful, and feel a sense of awe at the trust you show in me, says Meling in a press release after yesterday’s national convention.
The party itself writes on its website that Meling is concerned with the struggle against exclusion, whether it concerns undocumented migrants, young people or LGBT+ persons of all ages, or people with disabilities and mental illness.
In 2025 Meling said to Nationen that he/she had previously been married to a woman and that the rightward trend in Europe and the world at large was perceived as frightening.
The party leader enjoys gardening and travelling, but the change of gender identity has had consequences for the latter:
– I am now sceptical about travelling to, for example, the Middle East. I do not want to travel to the USA or to England. I feel like a “persona non grata”, an unwanted person, says Meling.
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