Netherlands government releases public apology for discredited transgender law

On Saturday, November 27, the Dutch government issued a public apology for a now-discredited and repealed law that mandated transgender people to undergo surgery and sterilisation in order to change their gender in the birth certificate. "Nobody should have experienced what you have experienced. I am truly sorry that it happened," Dutch Minister for Education, Culture and Science, Ingrid van Engelshoven was quoted as saying by The Associated Press (AP). The minister said this at a ceremony which was organised in the historic Knights Hall in the Dutch parliamentary complex.

The law had been in effect for over 30 years before being repealed in 2014. Van Engelshoven stated that people had been subjected to medical procedures for decades that they did not desire but they understood they didn't have a choice. "Others have waited because of this law; they were forced to postpone becoming themselves for years," she added. She believes that norms for how a person's body should look do not belong in the law and that no government should ever force anyone to have surgery. "And today, on behalf of the entire Cabinet, I offer our profound apologies," she stated as reported by The AP. 

Transgender Network Nederland welcomed the government's apology

'Transgender Network Nederland' hailed the ceremony, claiming that the Netherlands is the first country in the world to apologise in this way. However, it also stated that the government took too long to repeal the law and that the compensation granted to those harmed by the law was insufficient. The group also claimed that hundreds of people had to suffer because of the law. They could choose papers that matched their gender identity, but at a price that was far too expensive, it added. 

Willemijn van Kempen, who spearheaded the apology effort, said in a statement that the government was systematically disadvantaged and harmed transgender and intersex persons for nearly three decades. It is essential that it now expresses regret, she added. It should be mentioned here that in 2013, the Council of Europe had urged its member states to abolish any such legislation that mandated trans people to go for sterilization.

(With inputs from AP)

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