How did the Scandi countries get there before us? What happened? And how did it happen?

Let's not get too carried away with the praise, Finland has been right about puberty-blockers, but unfortunately has a self-ID law that came into force in 2023 that basically allows any man to change gender to a women by filling in a form. Here is what I wrote about Finland on another thread about the German self-ID law:

The German self-ID law is indeed bonkers! And it is astounding that countries like Finland and Norway, countries that I have considered to be beacons for women's rights and equality, also allow self-ID and have thrown women's rights under the bus in such a spectacular way! In Finland the self-ID law only applies to adults, but it has been badly thought through. Finland is a country with mandatory military service for men, so this law could be misused by men wanting to avoid military service. When politicians were asked about this, the response was that they trust the citizens not to abuse this law. Also no clear guidance on trans-women's access to women's prisons and sport and female quotas in workplaces. A lot of grey areas on such important matters for women.

What is infuriating is that the biggest advocate for the self-ID law in Finland was Sanna Marin, the former PM and a female! So much for sisterhood...

Thankfully Theresa May had opposition to her plans to implement self-ID in the UK. Many countries have managed to get self-ID approved through the back door without women understanding what it actually means for them. In the UK too much light has now been shed on this harmful ideology, so will be very difficult to get a self-ID law approved through the back door. As much as I don't like the current Conservative government, I am pretty sure had we had a Labour government in power in the past 10 or so years we would probably now have a self-ID law in place. So thank God for the conservatives for getting something right and I am saying this as someone who has never voted Conservative and I consider myself to be a lefty.

Theresa May and Sanna Marin- classic examples of adults putting their own desire for social approval above anything else.

Don't start praising too soon. A law of basically self-ID is due to be voted through soon here in Sweden unless we manage to influence politicians to break the official party line and vote against. There are many reports that say that many MP:s are against the proposed law, but there is a strong tradition of sticking to the party line and it is by no means certain that they'll break it when it comes to voting. I'm concerned that they might take the coward's way out and just not come to parliament that day.

Yes and a particular Swedish journalist went to the heart of the hospital and confronted those in charge iirc on camera about that very situation.

Sweden was actually ahead of the UK in implementation, I suspect. The NHS was castigated for being so slow to adopt affirmation and medical transition from minors.

From various things I’ve watched, they had a massive wake-up call when one of their puberty blocked patients started to have major problems, I think with bone density.

It’s a small enough country and a small enough medical community for a single issue to massively pull on the brakes and then trans train was made. I suspect their media and journalism are less captured as well. Social mobility is better, the media is not so dominated by moguls.

I think there are many factors, but I suspect wanting to be at the forefront of social justice and modern ideas means they rush in and then find out, relatively early on, the problems that arise. Being small means hiding things is more difficult. And having rushed in, reversing is sometimes easier. In the UK, it took time to come to pass, those against the idea had to be pushed out and those remaining were more likely activists. When activists predominate, reversing becomes near impossible as they have no interest in noting and responding to negative evidence.

I don't think they have 'avoided it' but I think that like here their medical system is state funded and so they are more accountable? (I think?)

A Swedish series called the trans train was very influential there, helped I think by leading trans people being interviewed and also agreeing