The German government pushes the self-determination law through the
Bundestag. But not without a heated exchange before the vote. From
November onwards, gender can be changed using a speech act.
The
Bundestag passed the Self-Determination Act on Friday. The government
coalition gives transgender people the opportunity to change their
gender entry and first name more easily. This also makes access to
medication and medical interventions easier. The bill also includes a
broad ban on trans people disclosing themselves to third parties. In the
adopted version, this also includes family members if they act with the
intent to cause harm.
In addition to the members of the
governing coalition, the Left Party group also voted for the law. A
total of 374 MPs decided in favor of the proposal, 251 against it. These
include the AfD faction, the Union faction and the BSW group. There
were eleven abstentions.
Trans MPs thank you for the self-determination law
“With
today’s law, we are taking a first big step towards a more
self-determined society,” said transgender Green Party member Nyke
Slawik in the Bundestag. She then thanked everyone who made the law
possible. The federal government's queer commissioner, Sven Lehmann
(Greens), found similar words. Decades of humiliation caused by the
transsexual law are now over.
There was criticism from the
opposition. CDU MP Mareike Wulf criticized the lack of youth protection
measures. It would be too easy to have your name changed in the office
in the future without justification. Unrest broke out after Sarah
Wagenknecht's speech. “Gender is changing from a biological fact to a
question of state of mind,” said the left-wing rebel. After her speech,
Bundestag Vice President Petra Pau (Left Party) had to warn the MPs to
calm down.
AfD criticizes the lack of child protection
“But
a man does not become a woman if he puts on a wig and a stereotypical
low-cut dress,” said AfD MP Martin Reichert. Likewise, a woman cannot
become a man. “This is all ideological nonsense.” That’s why his group
rejects this “nonsensical law”.
In an interim comment, his party
colleague Beatrix von Storch (AfD) pointed out the possibility of
changing the gender entry again after a year. The deadline for this is
shorter for minors. The politician sees this as confirmation that the
government coalition factions also recognize the volatile nature of
children's self-perception. The law must better protect young people
from hasty decisions.
The Self-Determination Act will come into
force in two stages. From August 1, 2024, requests for changes to the
gender entry can be submitted to the responsible offices. This means
that the three-month deadline for changing the entry can be met by
November 1, 2024. Then it replaces the Transsexual Act of 1980.
Source: Junge Freiheit