Germans can now change gender every year — RT World News
A draft law adopted by the Bundestag allows parents to register their children under five years of age of a different gender
German citizens will be able to change their gender with legal documents without undergoing surgery or hormone treatment, under a new draft law approved by the Bundestag last Friday. It stipulates that an oral application is sufficient, eliminating the need for expert evaluation, which was previously mandatory. The law goes into effect in November.
The legislation on gender “self-determination” was supported by 374 MPs, most of them from the ruling “Traffic Light” coalition, while another 251 MPs opposed it and 11 MPs abstained from voting.
Current regulations date back to 1981, and stipulate that individuals wishing to change their gender must first undergo two psychological evaluations. The final decision under this law rests with the district court.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz's ruling coalition told Chancellor Olaf Scholz that the current measures are humiliating towards transgender individuals, as they have to share intimate details with officials.
Under the new law, parents will be allowed to submit a request to change the sex of a child as young as five years old, with the consent of the child present. Minors over the age of 14 will be able to change their first name and gender alone, as long as they have the consent of their parents or legal representatives.
Individuals will be allowed to make the change once a year.
Germans will also have the right to replace the words “mother” and “father” in the family registry with the neutral term “parent”.
Non-binary individuals can register as “diverse” instead of having to choose between “male” and “female.”
Under recently passed legislation, a fine of up to 10,000 euros ($10,630) could be imposed on anyone who attempts to reveal an individual's previous gender identity.
The law leaves it up to saunas, swimming pools, gyms and other sports facilities to decide whether biological males will be allowed into women's locker rooms and restrooms. When it comes to competitive sports, individual federations may decide whether biological males who identify as women can compete against females.
The bill faced intense debate in the Bundestag on Friday, with the government's commissioner for LGBTQ+ issues, Sven Lehmann, hailing it as historic and bringing an end to… “Violation of human rights”.
However, opposition parties were largely unconvinced, with CDU MP Marieke Wolff describing the legislation as… “Irresponsible” And “Socially explosive.” Wolf also argued that criminals could use the new regulations to hide their identity.
Sahira Wagenknecht, the former leader of the Left Party who now leads her own party, warned that with males now allowed to declare themselves female, “Women’s protection rights and women’s protection shelters [are] “A thing of the past.”
A representative of the far-right Alternative for Germany party said that the draft law constitutes a threat to young people, denouncing it as… “Transient noise.”
You can share this story on social media:
Source link
