The Self-Determination Act will see Germany follow the lead of Spanish socialists in liberalizing the country’s gender laws.
The German federal government has approved plans to liberalize the country’s gender laws, which will enable citizens to legally change their gender through self-certification without any need to obtain a professional assessment.
The Self-Determination Bill was approved by the federal cabinet on Wednesday and will allow those wishing to legally change their first name or their gender to do so by filing with the registry office without any further formalities.
Currently, individuals who wish to formally change their gender must obtain professional assessments from two experts and seek permission from the court. However, this will all be scrapped under the new plans, which still require parliamentary ratification.
Minors from the age of 14 will also be able to change their forename and legal gender provided they have approval from their guardian. However, should this be contested, minors will reserve the right to challenge their guardians’ decision in the family court.