The German government has approved a law of self-determination allowing people to change their gender and name more easily.
I wonder if this will, at some point in the future, also ease changing first names without changing your gender. Currently, you need an extremely serious reason (e.g. your parents hated you right when you were born and called you Adolf while the Family name is Hermann) and run through a whole process to change your name.
I hope they make it easier than changing gender twice. That would suck for everyone.
Heh, yeah, that also takes a year ;)
I’m
pretty sureno longer sure you can change your name and/or gender independently with this new law. Only limit is 1 change per year.Not the way I understand it.
It starts in § 2 with
Jede Person, deren Geschlechtsidentität von ihrem Geschlechtseintrag im Personenstandsregister abweicht, kann gegenüber dem Standesamt nach Maßgabe des § 45b des Personenstandsgesetzes erklären
Any person whose gender identity differs from his or her gender entry in the civil status register may declare to the registry office in accordance with section 45b of the Civil Status Act
So that seems like the requirement for making any changes is having a gender identity that differs from what’s currently official. IANAL though.
Ah, I see. I agree that wording doesn’t sound like you can do name change only. I remember reading that you can choose your own name but I suppose that must’ve been only in combination with a gender entry change then.
Hopefully there will be official confirmation at some point on what is possible. I have no need to change either name or gender for myself, but I’m happy that those who do will have a much easier time than before.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
German Family Minister Lisa Paus said a new law easing the path for individuals to officially change their gender had been approved by the Cabinet on Wednesday, hailing it as “a big moment” for transgender and intersex people.
The proposed “Self-Determination Act” allows for changes to be made in a simple procedure at government registry offices.
Paus said the reform served “to protect minorities who have been discriminated against for a long time and is socio-political progress.”
Under current rules, individuals must submit two psychological reports to change the entries with a district court making the final decision.
However, the government says there are exceptions here, and that the law would not allow people to escape criminal prosecution by changing their name and gender.
Non-binary means people who do not classify themselves as male or female according to conventional gender divisions.
The original article contains 371 words, the summary contains 140 words. Saved 62%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!
