Six out of eight Riksdag parties in the social committee decided on Thursday to send the proposal for a new gender identity law to a vote in the chamber.
– 6 out of 8 parties in the Riksdag are in favor of this simplification in the Gender Affiliation Act. It is an important step forward to strengthen the rights of trans people, says Elias Fjellander, federation chairman of RFSL Ungdom.
RFSL: 16 countries have more modern teams
The organization RFSL, which works for the rights of LGBTQI people, has pushed the issue of a new law approaching the Nordic neighboring countries. They believe that the Swedish law is outdated and restricts the waiting times in gender confirmation care.
– By making it easier to change legal gender, there will simply be less administrative workload for the specialized care staff, says Elias Fjellander.
According to the RFSL, today 16 countries have a modern gender identity law that is based on the individual’s self-determination. The list includes all the Nordic countries except Sweden.
“A very big step forward”
If the law is approved, it will be a “very big step forward” for trans people’s human rights – but the work in Sweden is far from finished, he believes.
RFSL raises an earlier proposal themselves where an age limit of 12 instead of 16 was proposed.
– I think it is important that all trans people should have personal data that matches who they are in accordance with recommendations from the Council of Europe.
Do you see any concerns with increased self-determination given that it is precisely children and not adults that are involved?
– As the bill currently stands, legal gender can be changed with the guardian’s consent. It is not something you will have the right to do on your own.