Germany is taking steps to smooth the process for transgender, intersex and non-binary people to legally change their names and gender, as Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s ruling coalition attempts to deliver on a pledge to make society more inclusive.
Scholz’s cabinet approved a draft Self-Determination Law on Wednesday which would enable citizens to update their gender entry and their first names without having to endure court proceedings or provide an expert psychiatric opinion – a process some have complained can be demeaning and traumatic.
The new rules, which would take effect in November 2024 at the earliest – following parliamentary approval – would mean that a person would simply need to make a declaration to the registry office affirming that the requested change best corresponds to their gender identity and that they are aware of the implications.
Under certain conditions, the option would be accessible to people from the age of 14 years.
“Germany is diverse,” Scholz wrote in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “That is why we are adapting our laws to the different realities of life.”
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The initiative has drawn criticism from opposition parties, including the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), which accuses the ruling alliance of weakening society.
Alice Weidel, the leader of the AfD’s parliamentary caucus, said on Wednesday the party was looking at mounting a legal challenge to the law.
Businesses and governments elsewhere are facing a backlash over similar moves. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government blocked a law in Scotland in January that would have allowed anyone over 16 to easily change their name in legal documents. It was the first time that London vetoed legislation proposed by the Scottish Parliament since it was established in 1999.
In the US, state legislators have introduced more anti-LGBTQ bills in 2023 than in the past five years combined, as the so-called culture wars have gripped the national agenda.
Companies have faced protests and threats of boycotts after releasing anti-LGBTQ merchandise or working with trans influencers.
One controversial aspect of the German government’s draft bill is a proposal that would empower anyone 14 years old or above to make the declaration to the registry office themselves, although it would need the agreement of a parent or guardian.
“This law interferes in a disproportionate way with the parents’ right to bring up their children, which is protected by the constitution,” said Silvia Breher, a spokeswoman on family policy for the conservative CDU/CSU caucus.
Families Minister Lisa Paus, a member of the Greens, called the adoption of the draft law by cabinet a “great moment” for trans and intersex people in Germany.
“The Self-Determination Act aims to protect long-discriminated minorities and is a step forward for social policy,” Paus said.