Self-determination law falls on open ears
In the course of a representative survey, it has now been found that just under 50 percent, or 46 percent to be precise, of Germans support the Self-Determination Act. 41 percent said they opposed the law.
The survey in question was conducted by the YouGov institute and commissioned by "Welt am Sonntag".
The planned law has long been the subject of debate... including on social networks. While many people welcome it, others think it is a bit too much flexibility.
What is behind the Self-Determination Act?
The content of the Self-Determination Act is explained comparatively quickly. The corresponding concept was presented by the Federal Ministries of Justice and Family Affairs. The idea is that it should be possible for every person in Germany to determine his or her own gender. The whole thing is supposed to be completely uncomplicated. The contact for the respective changes would be the registry office.
Anyone who still wants to change their gender must go through a - partly discriminatory - procedure. Because: At the place where the new self-determination law will perhaps stand one day, the so-called transsexual law is currently still in place. This still dates back to 1980 and is understandably regarded by many as "outdated".
A typical example: those who wish to change their gender or first name must undergo two psychological assessments at once. The costs of these examinations must be borne by the applicant. Whether the corresponding application is then granted is decided by the competent local court.
What is the subject of particularly intense discussion?
Should the self-determination law be passed in Germany, the situation for many transsexuals would change almost abruptly. Many countries have already proven that a self-determination law can work.
Nevertheless, skeptical voices are still coming from even some parts of the community. Especially with regard to self-determination in connection with young people. For example, if the law in question is actually passed in its proposed form, this would mean, among other things, that people over the age of 14 would be given far more flexibility. However, the consent of parents would still be required up to a certain age limit.
In this context, the argument is often made that at such a young age it is simply not yet possible to make such a far-reaching decision and that it would simply take a little more (life) time to really be 100 percent sure.
On the other hand, there are numerous young people who suffer greatly from not being allowed to "officially" admit to themselves because they are denied gender registration.
At present, discussions seem to be taking place mainly on the topic of "At what point is a person capable of determining his or her own gender?".
The transsexual law: the current situation
A change of gender and a change of name is still a real challenge for many transsexuals in this day and age. Because: It is not only about the fact that different expertises must be provided. A change of the gender entry can be "quite incidentally" also very expensive. In addition, many transsexuals complain that the questions they would be confronted with in the course of the application are very discriminatory.
In short: Due to the current situation, it is highly likely that many people will (still?) decide against changing their gender entry because the procedure is still too burdensome in many respects. But who knows? Maybe that's exactly what will change soon?