German states allow self-determination law to pass
Published: Friday, May 17th 2024, 13:10
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The controversial Self-Determination Act can come into force in Germany. The chamber of the 16 federal states, the Bundesrat, passed it on Friday and thus refrained from calling on the Mediation Committee.
In future, the law will make it much easier to have your gender entry and first name changed by the authorities. In future, this will only require a declaration to the registry office. A court decision and two expert opinions, which were previously required, will no longer be necessary.
The simplifications primarily affect transgender, intersex and non-binary people, who previously had to go through these high hurdles and costly procedures to have their gender entry changed.
There had been protests against the changes, particularly from the conservative spectrum. However, only three state ministers from the Greens, who currently govern Germany together with the SPD and FDP, spoke in the Bundesrat on Friday and had no objections to the new law.
Critics feared that the law could create incentives to have one's gender entry changed arbitrarily or even to undergo gender reassignment surgery. Those affected firmly reject this view and point out that no one goes down this path voluntarily.
The previous procedure under the more than 40-year-old Transsexuals Act, in which those affected were asked the most intimate questions, was degrading, said Hamburg's deputy head of government Katharina Fegebank (Greens). The following applies to the new regulation: "Nothing is being taken away from anyone. Injustice is being eliminated. And for many, it is a great day for a freer and more self-determined life."
NRW Justice Minister Benjamin Limbach (Greens) emphasized that many regulations had been fought over on the way to this law. The result is good, even if the law is perhaps not perfect in every detail. "With the Self-Determination Act, we are taking a big step towards an open, tolerant and diverse society," said Limbach.
©Keystone/SDA
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