Spain is one of the first countries in Europe to allow gender self-determination from the age of 16 without the need for a psychological or medical assessment after MPs passed a law on controversy.
Young people over the age of 16 can apply to change their ID with a simple application. You must revalidate this request after three months for it to become valid.
From the age of 12, children require the permission of the referee to make the same move.
The unexpected decision by Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to step down on Wednesday was partly prompted by controversy over similar legislation on transgender rights in Scotland.
In 2014, Denmark became the first country in Europe to grant the right to change sex from the age of 14 without a medical or psychological examination.
In December, the Scottish Parliament passed legislation making it easier for people to change their legal gender, including lowering the minimum age from 18 to 16 and eliminating the need for an official medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria. But the move was later blocked by the UK government due to claims it would have legal implications outside of Scotland.
Experts and trans activists in Spain have hailed the so-called “trans law” as progress, but the measure has met with fierce opposition from conservative parties and some activists.
Outside the Spanish parliament, dozens of transgender rights activists and their families cheered the vote as some torches lit in blue, white and pink, the colors of the transgender movement.
However, some fear the law will undermine women’s rights and allow men who identify as women to play women’s sports or seek transfer to women’s prisons.
They also deny that minors have the right to change sex from the age of 14 with parental consent and from 12 with the consent of parents and the court.
Carmen Calvo, Spain’s former deputy prime minister and current chairman of the Equality Commission, was fined €600 by her own party for refusing to vote on the law when it passed its first reading in December.
“The preference for sex over biological sex does not seem to be progress in a progressive direction; it feels like a step back,” she shared. El Mundo Newspaper. “The state should provide answers to transgender people, but gender is not voluntary or optional.”
Advocates said a new law is needed to protect the rights of transgender people after a surge in the number of people reporting gender dysphoria, a disorder caused by a mismatch between a person’s biological sex and the gender they identify with.
In the past, adults could apply for sex reassignment surgery within two years with a medical report confirming their gender dysphoria and evidence of hormonal treatment, while minors needed a court order.
“I am very happy not only for transgender people, but also for democracy. This law will put an end to intolerance in this country when someone wants to change their gender,” said Mar Cambrol, President of Platforma Trans Federation. I.
Dr Michela Mariotto, an expert on gender differences in childhood, said the law is a sign that Spain is adapting to changes in society.
“After wasting time in a long struggle fomented by conservative religious groups, political parties [who oppose] of the rights of the LGBT+ community, based on ideological positions that recognize women as the only subject of feminism, today Spain decided to respond to the social changes that the country and international organizations have been demanding for many years,” she said. I.
The law was introduced by the far-left Unidos Podemos, a junior partner in Spain’s coalition government, but caused controversy with some elements of the ruling socialists as some lawmakers opposed the law.
Equality Minister Irene Montero, leader of Podemos, who spearheaded the new transgender law, tweeted: “This is a historic day for feminist rights.”
Source: I News
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