Sweden Parliament Passes New Law Lowering Age to Legally Change Gender to 16

Stockholm: The Swedish Parliament on Wednesday, April 18 passed a bill lowering the minimum age to change gender from 18 to 16.

Making the access to surgical interventions, the bill was passed with 234 votes in favour in Sweden's 349-seat parliament.

The new legislation aims to slow self-identification, simplify the procedure, and make it simple for a person to change their legal gender. The legislation is expected to come into force next year. However, to undergo the gender change procedure, one needs a shorter consultation with a doctor or a psychologist along with approval from The National Board of Health and Welfare.

The new law will also decouple the process of legal gender change from medical practices like sex reassignment surgery which will still require the same evaluation.

While the tolerance for gender transition has been long in the developed and progressed nations, political parties across the board are still divided upon it.

Sparking intense debate among parties,  the conservative Prime Minister, Ulf Kristersson's centre-right coalition has been split on the issue, with his own Moderates and the Liberals largely supporting the law while the smaller section of the Christian Democrats were against it. Furthermore, the Sweden Democrats also oppose it.

Johan Hultberg, the MP representing the ruling Conservative Moderate party in the parliament said, “This is not a revolution we are doing today, it is a reform. It is not reasonable that there should be the same requirements for changing legal gender as for making an irreversible gender-confirming surgery.”

Meanwhile, critics have argued that more evaluation is needed and that the law change could make some women feel uncomfortable if they have to share changing rooms with those who have transitioned.

Carita Boulwen of the Sweden Democrats said, “We believe that this is a reprehensible proposal, which risks having unforeseen and serious consequences. Not just for the individual, but for society as a whole.”

According to a recent poll quoted by Reuters citing TV4 showed that 59 per cent of Swedes say it is 'a bad or very bad proposal,' while only 22 per cent think it is a good one.

(With Inputs From Reuters)