Let’s talk about trans feminism, memory, and present-day utopias | Iza Nico Borrelli

Iza Nico Borrelli is a trans non-binary activist, author, and PhD student in gender studies within political science. Their work focuses on gender politics, trans feminism, and power, grounded in both academic research and grassroots activism in Italy and transnational spaces. They are currently co-chair of Transgender Europe, working on trans rights at the European level.

For Borrelli, feminism and activism are inseparable from everyday life. As a trans person, politics is not an abstract choice but a lived reality—something that shapes even the most ordinary moments. Trans feminism, in their view, is not an identity label but a daily practice rooted in care, mutual aid, solidarity, and community-building, especially in hostile political contexts.

They are the author of Gender Is Over, an essay that challenges the genderisation of society as a political system that regulates bodies, identities, and access to rights. The book asks how we might live in a society where people can define themselves freely—without being disciplined by institutions, laws, or norms. Written from within the Italian context, it amplifies collective voices from trans, feminist, and LGBTQIA+ movements, emphasizing shared struggles rather than individual authorship.

Reflecting on the present, Borrelli identifies the rise of authoritarian and reactionary politics as a major challenge for feminism, with gender increasingly used as a symbolic enemy. They stress that feminism must remain radical and transformative, centering trans people, migrants, and those most affected by structural violence.

Looking forward, Borrelli resists distant visions of progress. For them, utopia is built in the present—through care, mutual support, and everyday resistance. Politics, they argue, lives not only in theory or institutions, but in relationships, memory, and the collective act of showing up for one another.