After a law creating a “menstrual leave”, a first in Europe, the Spanish deputies voted, Thursday, February 16, a law allowing to freely change gender in the eyes of the State from the age of 16. This text allows people wishing to change their gender on their identity papers from this age, via a simple administrative declaration.
With this law, it will therefore no longer be necessary to provide medical reports attesting to gender dysphoria, that is to say, distress caused by a mismatch between the biological sex and the gender with which a person identifies. person. It will also not be compulsory to provide proof of hormone treatment followed for two years, as was the case until now for adults.
The text, voted by 191 deputies while 60 voted against and 91 elected members abstained, also extends this right to 14-16 year olds, with the agreement of their legal guardians, as well as to 12-14 year olds. they get the green light from justice.
A law that also prohibits conversion therapy
Spain thus joins several countries authorizing gender self-determination, like Denmark, the first country to have granted this right in Europe in 2014.
“Today we took a giant step” recognizing the “free determination of gender identity”launched the Minister Podemos for Equality, Irene Montero, defending a law that “depathologized” transgender people and also prohibits conversion therapy aimed at imposing heterosexuality.
The debate on gender dysphoria has gained momentum in many countries in recent years, with increasing demands for transition, especially among minors. In Spain, the text, ardently defended by Podemos, aroused strong opposition from the right and caused divisions within the left.