Last week, the German Parliament voted to pass a new law that allows trans people to easily change their legal gender with a simple administrative procedure.
The new law makes this gender-affirming practice a breeze and replaces outdated preconditions from the ‘80s that required people seeking to legally change their gender to provide declarations of support from doctors. It also no longer requires individuals to undergo invasive procedures, according to The Washington Blade.
Also included in the new law are fines for up to $11,000 for those who disclose a trans person’s deadname or previous gender with malice, unless required for legal purposes (in court or during a police investigation).
This new law, which only applies to people over 18, allows the legal change of gender to male, female or “diverse,” which suggests a third-gender. Moreover, applicants can also request no gender be listed on their legal documents.
Minors who’d like to take advantage of the new law can only do so with parental permission. Those under 14 must have their parents file the application on their behalf. A legal gender change can only be done once within a 12 month period.
Germany’s government has advocated for trans rights for years. The Constitutional Court struck down the requirement that trans people undergo sex reassignment surgery and be sterilized in 2011. They also required the government to create a non-binary option for intersex people in 2017, according to The Washington Blade.
In 2023, Germany was ranked 15th out of 49 in LGBTQ+ rights and advocacy amongst European countries, and received a rating of 55 percent from Rainbow Europe. According to Statista, Germany ranks high in terms of providing asylum to LGBTQ people, transgender recognition laws, and civil social spaces, and overall has stronger protections in place for intersex people and LGBTQ+ people at large.
