The Spanish Government has approved a proposed change to the law which is likely to mean no medical or legal report will be needed to process a sex change.
The preliminary draft law approved by the Spanish Cabinet will soon be discussed in the national Parliament and is widely expected to become law.
The so-called ‘trans law’ is merged with that already known as the ‘LGTBI law’ and includes important new measures that are set to affect many areas of society, given its broad scope and vague terminology.
The new law advances the ‘depathologisation’ of trans people – those who consider that their perceived gender does not coincide with their body.
The Minister of Equality and leader of lefitst party Podemos, Irene Montero, has said that ‘at last trans people will no longer be considered sick in Spain’.
The law eliminates the requirement to have a medical or psychological report accrediting ‘gender dysphoria’ and the obligation to undergo hormone treatment for two years when a citizen wants to change their sex at the Civil Registry. Montero has strongly supported gender self-determination, which has led her to clash with a large section of the feminist movement in Spain.
It will be enough to request the official change of sex in writing, without the need to present witnesses. Within a maximum period of three months, they must ratify their decision. This change of registered sex can be requested by anyone over 16 years old.
For adolescents aged between 12 and 15, requests for sex changes will require parental support, or by a judicial ombudsman if the parents and children disagree. For minors under 12, only a change of name will be allowed. According to government Vice President Carmen Calvo, minors must be protected ‘to ensure they do not take steps that they later want to reverse’.
Despite internal discrepancies, the government has accelerated the procedures in recent weeks so that the law could come into force during the LGTBI Pride celebrations, the annual event that is becoming increasingly influential in Spain.
