Denmark Becomes First European Nation To Pass Progressive Gender Identity Law

Over six decades ago Denmark was the nation in which Christine Jorgensen underwent her hormonal transition.   Now Denmark becomes the first nation in Europe to pass a progressive gender identity law that removes obstacles to legal gender recognition. 

On June 11 the Danish Parliament passed a law modeled on the one passed in Argentina in 2012 that removes the requirement of a Gender Identity Disorder (GID), Gender Dysphoria or any other psychological assessment or opinion is not necessary    The Danish Parliament also removed requirements for medical intervention, mandatory surgical intervention and mandatory sterilization.

Under the new law an application for legal change of gender is submitted to a relevant authority and after 6 months the applicant simply needs to confirm their application for it to happen..

The passage of the first in the European region law was hailed by European TBLG organizations and activists.

"This is ground-breaking for trans persons in Denmark and elsewhere. We hope that other countries will follow the Danish example and pass quick, accessible and transparent legal gender recognition legislation based on self-determination swiftly. Nevertheless, for the young generation of trans people in Denmark we hope that the minimal age of 18 years will be dropped eventually..” comments TGEU Executive Director Julia Ehrt 

Paulo Côrte-Real, Co-Chair of ILGA-Europe, added: “We are very pleased to see the Argentinian model for legal gender recognition being introduced in Europe by Denmark today. The benchmark is set high now and we encourage other European countries to follow suit and to remove unnecessary, humiliating and degrading requirements which hinder people across Europe to fully enjoy their lives in preferred gender.”

The new law will take effect in Denmark on September 1.   Here's hoping other governments in Europe and elsewhere role model it in their own trans ID policies.    

Fernanda Milan Granted Danish Asylum!

Thought I would pass along to you TransGriot readers the wonderful news that Fernanda Milan has been granted asylum in Denmark on November 26.

She did not publicize the news according to ILGA Europe at the time because she is angry that she was forced to go through lengthy and grueling proceedings.  

Asylum was even denied to her in the beginning with the reversal happening only days before she was scheduled to be deported from Denmark.

She got a right to be angry considering the  European Union Parliament adopted asylum standards  in October 2011 stating EU member nations must now include gender identity as a ground of persecution and take it into account when they make decisions to grant or deny asylum status to people seeking it
Stine Larsen, of the T-Refugee Project says:

“We are very relieved that our struggle, together with Fernanda, ended in her being granted asylum. But it has been a soul-destroying asylum process with an initial refusal which was then reversed just three days before her scheduled departure on September 17, 2012. Fernanda has needed time and space to recover from this ordeal. That’s why we are only publicizing the good news now.”

“I am very grateful to all the people who have helped me to fight, because in the end I could not have done it on my own.”  said Fernanda.

“I have been a transgender person all my life. And I have been fighting against prejudice as long as I remember. I had to flee from Guatemala because I was fighting for human rights. Now I have the chance to live my life as a woman and an activist. Now I want to keep on the fight for a better world, where everybody can educate, work, create families and live a dignifying life regardless of their gender identity,”

Amen Fernanda, and congratulations.   Denmark should be proud to have someone like you residing inside its borders.