Sweden passes law to make it easier for people to change their “legal gender”

Critics say more evaluation is needed. (representative)

Stockholm:

Sweden’s parliament on Wednesday passed a law that would make it easier for people to change their legal gender and lower the age of consent from 18 to 16, despite heavy criticism from within the government coalition.

Swedes have been able to change their legal gender since 1972, but this can take many years and requires a thorough investigation and a doctor’s diagnosis of gender dysphoria.

Under the new law, which will come into force next year, a shorter consultation with a doctor or psychologist will suffice, approved by the state health and welfare board.

The new law also decouples legal gender reassignment from medical procedures such as gender reassignment surgery, which still requires a longer evaluation.

Supporters of the bill say it modernizes existing laws and would bring Sweden closer to its Nordic neighbors and many other European countries that already have systems for people to determine their legal gender.

“This is not a revolution we are having today, it is a reform,” the Moderate Party’s John Hultberg said during a debate. “It is unreasonable that changing legal gender would require the same requirements as having irreversible gender confirmation surgery.”

However, the bill was unpopular, especially with right-wing voters.

According to a recent poll commissioned by TV4, 59% of Swedes think it is a bad or very bad proposal, while 22% think it is a good proposal.

This also led to a divided government. To pass the bill, center-right moderates and the Liberal Party teamed up with the center-left opposition, bypassing government coalition partners the Christian Democrats and government backers the Sweden Democrats.

Critics argue that more evaluation is needed and that the change in the law could make some women uncomfortable if they have to share changing rooms with transgender people.

“We believe that this is a reprehensible proposal that has the potential to have unforeseen serious consequences,” said Carita Boulwen, a far-right Sweden democrat. “Not just for individuals, but also for the whole society.”

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