"My Gender, My Decision"... Germany's Self-Determination Law on Gender Takes Effect from the 1st

15,000 Applications in One Month

Germany's 'Self-Determination of Gender Act,' which allows individuals to change their registered gender without court approval, came into effect on the 1st (local time).

According to foreign media including the daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ), there were 15,000 gender change applications submitted during August alone, prior to the law's enforcement. The German government accepted applications starting three months before the law took effect as a reflection period to prevent hasty decisions.

The German government enacted the new law in April following criticism that the existing Transsexual Act infringed on the human rights of sexual minorities. Under the previous law, changing one's registered gender required a doctor's psychological evaluation and a court decision. The new law allows individuals to change their gender by simply notifying the registry office of one of the following options: male, female, diverse, or unspecified. It is possible to register multiple genders or delete the existing gender regardless of whether one has undergone gender reassignment surgery.

With this, Germany became the 17th country to entrust gender determination to individual self-decision. Sven Lehmann, the Federal Government Commissioner for Queer Affairs, mentioned that the number of pre-registrations showed how eagerly sexual minorities awaited this law, saying, "We have finally joined the group of countries that do not treat transgender people pathologically," and called it "a significant day for human rights and democracy."

However, concerns have been raised that the new system could be abused for sexual crimes, threatening the safety of women and youth. UN Special Rapporteur Rim AlSalem warned in a letter to the German government that "there are no mechanisms to prevent abuse by sexual offenders and perpetrators of violence," cautioning that violence could worsen in gender-segregated spaces such as prisons, changing rooms, and restrooms.

Controversies over athletes changing their gender to gain competitive advantages in sports may also increase. Previously, Lia Thomas (25), a 'non-surgical transgender' American swimmer, stirred controversy by competing in men's events before undergoing hormone therapy to transition to female and then participating in women's competitions.