European sterilization of transgender people more widespread than thought

THE GUERRILLA ANGEL REPORT — It was a rape of a trans woman in Sweden that brought to attention the ‘sterilization before legal gender change’ law that was on the books in there and in what I thought was just a few other European nations. As it turns out, most European nations have a similar law. In fact, it would be simpler to list the countries that don’t have the sterilization requirement — the United Kingdom, Spain and Portugal. (Sweden is dropping their requirement this year and Hungary apparently doesn’t enforce theirs.)

So what of Germany, France, The Netherlands and twenty-six other European countries? Stunningly, sterilization is still required before a gender change can become legal.

Human rights organizations consider sterilization human rights abuse, the United Nations consider it torture and it is somewhat surprising that there isn’t stepped up efforts from within these countries’ governments to reverse these conditions.

However, other entities, such as the Council of Europe, are taking the issue head on.  According to an article in Gay Star News, a report coming out in June will address this issue and hopefully accelerate change in Europe. However, it won’t be easy: Transgender Europe’s Richard Köhler made that clear in his comment to the GSN: ‘The debates have shown conservatives are really afraid of the “pregnant man” so they want to insist on sterilization.”

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United Nations report says forced sterilization is torture: http://lexiecannes.wordpress.com/2013/03/01/un-report-says-forced-transgender-reparative-therapy-sterilization-is-torture/

A previous article on Sweden’s sterilization law: http://lexiecannes.wordpress.com/2013/04/04/fear-of-third-gender-prompts-some-swedish-legislators-to-retain-transgender-sterilization-law/

Read more about the Council of Europe’s efforts and see the entire list of European countries where forced or coerced sterilization still exists: Trans people forced to be sterilized across Europe | Gay Star News.

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Filed under: Transgender, Transsexual, Trans, Council of Europe, europe, Richard Köhler, sterilization, sweden, Transgender Europe

Fear of “third gender” prompts some Swedish legislators to retain transgender sterilization law

THE GUERRILLA ANGEL REPORT — Never mind a recent Swedish court ruling stating the current practice of forced sterilization of transgender citizens was a violation of the European Convention on Human Rights, some legislators are arguing that the practice remain in place.

Fearing a “third gender,” Swedish Members of Parliament Tuve Skanberg and Annelie Enochson are opposing efforts in Parliament to enact legislation to delete the a requirement of sterilization for transitioning Swedish citizens.

It’s a bit early to tell if there is widespread support for this.

More about the Swedish court ruling on sterilization: http://lexiecannes.wordpress.com/2013/01/10/forced-sterilization-of-trans-patients-following-sex-reassignment-surgery-ends-in-sweden/

In an earlier report, I wrote about the United Nations’ position that forced sterilization was torture. This is from the a UN report on the matter: “…Medical care that causes severe suffering for no justifiable reason can be considered cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, and if there is State involvement and specific intent, it is torture.”

More: http://lexiecannes.wordpress.com/2013/03/01/un-report-says-forced-transgender-reparative-therapy-sterilization-is-torture/

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While these two may consist of a minority of the Swedish Parliament, their actions are very Orwellianish and most certainly yet another blemish on an otherwise civilized country. Not too long ago, a man was cleared of raping a trans woman because the judge argued the victim wasn’t “technically” a woman. A higher court however, overruled that judge and found the rapist guilty. More on that here: http://lexiecannes.wordpress.com/2012/07/03/rapist-freed-in-sweden-because-intended-female-victim-turned-out-to-be-transgender/

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Sweden may drop requirement that transgendered be infertile – UPI.com.

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Filed under: Discrimination, Equality, Civil Rights, Legislative, Transgender, Transsexual, Trans, Annelie Enochson, parliament, sterilization, sweden, Tuve Skanberg

Forced sterilization of trans patients following sex reassignment surgery ends in Sweden

THE GUERRILLA ANGEL REPORT — It’s hard to imagine this kind of law was still on the books in such an educated European country, but nonetheless, the practice of sterilization ended this week after a Swedish court of appeal ruled the 1972 law was unconstitutional in December. They also said the forced sterilization violated the European Convention on Human Rights.

The Swedish parliament recently passed legislation to ban the practice, but it wasn’t scheduled to begin until later this year.

LGBT advocates in Sweden are hoping that parliament will compensate those who were sterilized. They are threatening a lawsuit if this doesn’t happen. There is a precedent for this – sterilized patients of Swedish a eugenics program were compensated when the practice ended in the  late 1990s.

A bit more on the compensation hopes here:  Sweden ends forced sterilisation of sex change patients.

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Filed under: Judicial, Courts, Policy, Administrative, Transgender, Transsexual, Trans, court of appeal, European Convention on Human Rights, sex reassignment surgery, sterilization, sweden, Swedish parliament