Change Possible Without Medical Approval
"Men Allowed Access to Women's Changing Rooms"
Strong Backlash from Finnish Far-Right and Conservatives
On the 1st, the Finnish Parliament passed the so-called 'Progressive Rights Act,' which simplifies the legal procedure for transgender individuals to change their gender.
According to Euronews and other sources, the Finnish Parliament approved the bill to relax the criteria for transgender gender modification with 113 votes in favor and 69 against. Seventeen members were absent. The bill includes provisions allowing transgender individuals over 18 years old to legally change their gender through a 'self-declaration' process.
According to Euronews and others, the Finnish Parliament passed a bill to relax the criteria for transgender gender modification with 113 votes in favor and 69 against on the same day. [Image source=Pixabay]
Until now, in Finland, changing one's gender required medical and psychiatric approval from experts. However, with the passage of this bill, Finnish citizens over 18 can have their rights recognized simply by declaring their gender identity. To prevent abuse, the change is limited to once per year.
Additionally, the Parliament removed the clause requiring transgender individuals to submit a certificate proving infertility before recognizing their gender identity. Civil society groups had long argued for the repeal of this clause, claiming it was intended to prevent transgender people from having children.
The passage of this bill, which was part of Prime Minister Sanna Marin's reform policies, sparked strong opposition from conservative factions.
Earlier, Prime Minister Marin emphasized, "We must pass this bill that significantly strengthens transgender rights," calling it "the most important task during the remaining two months of the cabinet's term."
However, the far-right Finns Party and the conservative Christian Democrats, who voted against the bill, openly criticized it, saying it "opens the door for men to harass women in changing rooms," and indicated they would make this a key issue in the upcoming April general election. Some dissenting votes also emerged from the Centre Party, which is part of the coalition government, adding pressure on Prime Minister Marin.
Meanwhile, transgender rights have recently become a 'hot potato' issue across Europe. In December last year, Spain passed a transgender rights bill allowing anyone over 16 to legally change their gender without medical supervision. In contrast, on the 17th of last month, the UK government blocked a Scottish Parliament bill that would have allowed gender changes based solely on self-identification. This veto was the first since the Scottish Parliament was established in 1999.
The controversy intensified after a criminal in Scotland, who was on trial for sexually assaulting two women while male, attempted to transition to female, sought leniency, and was housed in a women-only prison. The far-right in Finland cited the Scottish case, arguing that "if gender changes become easier, abuses like this will continue," opposing the recent bill.
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