German coalition united on gender self-determination but CDU opposed
Germany's Justice Minister Marco Buschmann (FDP) has hailed a proposed law for easier gender self-determination as a success for the traffic-light coalition.
"We now have a draft law that the entire federal government supports and which takes into account all concerns - no matter how remote they may be. This is a great success," Buschmann told the Tagesspiegel newspaper on Wednesday.
He emphasized that thorough consideration had been given to safety concerns raised by opposition parties. However, he stressed that the focus should be on "the freedom and dignity of transgender people. The state must no longer treat them as if they were ill."
He described the law as "fully in line" with the spirit of the constitution.
Family Minister Lisa Paus described the planned adoption of the draft by the federal cabinet as a "significant moment" for transgender and intersex people in Germany.
"The self-determination law serves to protect historically marginalized minorities and represents societal progress," said the Green Party politician. "With the self-determination law, we uphold the right of every individual to have their gender identity respected and treated with dignity."
The federal cabinet aims to introduce the so-called self-determination law on Wednesday. Under the law, transgender, intersex and non-binary people will in future have only to self-declare if they wish to change their first name or gender notation in the civil registry.
Criticisms of the self-determination law come mainly from the centre-right CDU and far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).
The CDU has expressed concerns about women's rights being jeopardized. "The law leaves it up to the lifeguard or fitness trainer to decide whether a transgender person can enter the women's changing room," Silvia Breher, family policy spokesperson for the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, told DPA.
The necessity for women to have safe spaces was being ignored, she claimed.
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"We now have a draft law that the entire federal government supports and which takes into account all concerns - no matter how remote they may be. This is a great success," Buschmann told the Tagesspiegel newspaper on Wednesday.
He emphasized that thorough consideration had been given to safety concerns raised by opposition parties. However, he stressed that the focus should be on "the freedom and dignity of transgender people. The state must no longer treat them as if they were ill."
He described the law as "fully in line" with the spirit of the constitution.
Family Minister Lisa Paus described the planned adoption of the draft by the federal cabinet as a "significant moment" for transgender and intersex people in Germany.
"The self-determination law serves to protect historically marginalized minorities and represents societal progress," said the Green Party politician. "With the self-determination law, we uphold the right of every individual to have their gender identity respected and treated with dignity."
The federal cabinet aims to introduce the so-called self-determination law on Wednesday. Under the law, transgender, intersex and non-binary people will in future have only to self-declare if they wish to change their first name or gender notation in the civil registry.
Criticisms of the self-determination law come mainly from the centre-right CDU and far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).
The CDU has expressed concerns about women's rights being jeopardized. "The law leaves it up to the lifeguard or fitness trainer to decide whether a transgender person can enter the women's changing room," Silvia Breher, family policy spokesperson for the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, told DPA.
The necessity for women to have safe spaces was being ignored, she claimed.
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