Lagatar24 Desk
Madrid, Dec 23: Spain’s lower house of Parliament on Thursday passed a law allowing people over the age of 16 years to change their legally registered gender without any medical supervision.
According to the law, drawn up by the centre-left coalition government, minors between the ages of 14 and 16 must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians and those between the ages of 12 and 13 must obtain a judge`s permission to make the move.
It was approved by 188 lawmakers, while 150 were against it and seven abstentions. The Bill is now in the line to move to the Senate for final approval. If it is left unchanged, it will become law within weeks.
The draft bill effectively simplifies the process of changing the gender of a person’s national identity card, allowing them to request the change based on a simple statement.
Earlier, applicants were required to submit documentation of hormonal treatment for two years and a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria, which is the psychological condition of not feeling a match between one’s biological sex and gender identity. Minors also required court approval.
Transgender rights groups say the law represents a ‘before and after’ in LGBTQ2S+ rights whereas some feminist activists regard gender self-determination as a threat that blurs the concept of biological sex.
While the voting session was due to take place in Parliament, dozens of transgender rights activists gathered in front of the building listening to the debate on their mobile phones.
Saida Garcia, the vice president of the Euforia Trans Family Alliance group said that the bill will bring a change to many of its members’ everyday lives.
“It’s always been a problem when your ID doesn’t match your identity in a job interview, or at the doctor’s office, or when boarding public transport. We are so happy to get to this point. It seemed it was never going to come,” she added.
The bill will become law once it is passed by the Senate, a step expected by the end of the year.
