Without a doubt trans persons are among the most discriminated in all spheres of life.
That’s why the European Centre-Right LGBT+ Alliance stands shoulder to shoulder
with all who strive for proper self-determination for trans persons in all European
countries.
Presently, the national parliaments of several European countries are working on legislation
that is aimed at improving the rights of trans persons and contribute to the right of self-
determination. Most of this legislation deals with aspects of legal gender recognition (LGR-
legislation).
It is important that LGR-legislation also ends the outdated practise of compulsory
sterilisation. The Dutch government even officially apologised for this internationally
recognised violation of the human rights of transgender and intersex persons. Other,
countries can look to The Netherlands or Norway, to learn from their respective legislation of
2014 and 2016.
In recent years the positive attention being given to trans persons increased in most
European countries. In general, trans persons are more visible in the media and in society in
many European countries. From all this one could think that things are moving in the right,
direction for trans persons in Europe. At the same time ILGA Europe made very clear in their
annual report 2022 that things like hate speech and violence against trans persons was still
very present in many European countries and often even increasing. Therefor the European
Centre-Right LGBT+ Alliance stands with trans persons to improve their societal and legal
position.
The LGR-legislation in several European countries deals with real daily problems for trans
persons. It should make it easier to change gender registration by persons living in a different
gender from the one they had registered at birth. A situation you wouldn’t wish on anyone:
being confronted or having to explain that your gender is incorrectly registered every time
you perform an official act, travel internationally or pick up a postal package. A situation that
violates the human rights of trans persons and therefore should be delt with in all EU-
member states. In some EU-countries the legal gender can now be rectified with an expert
statement, so that one can go through life as the person they are. In the most modern
legislations, the change is made by a simple process with the registering authority based on
total self-determination – a role model for the rest.
The Alliance calls upon all EU-member states to follow this and other examples in
implementing these basic human rights. And from there they can make further improvements
by implementing LGR-legislation too.
It is time to act, and time to implement self-determination for trans persons now!
