Sweden joins other European countries in making life a little bit easier for transgender people. The Swedish Parliament passed a law on April 17th that lowers the age a person can legally change their gender from 18 to 16.
The new law doesn’t go into effect until July of 2025 according to an Instagram post by Gay Times. Swedish lawmaker Johan Hultberg told the Associated Press that the new law is “a cautious but important reform for a vulnerable group.” People under 18 will still need to get permission from a legal guardian, as well as approval from a doctor and the National Board of Health and Welfare, before they’re able to change their documentation.
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Lowering the age threshold isn’t the only good news from this new law. Swedes seeking to change their gender marker will no longer be required to get a gender dysphoria diagnosis—and considering the costs of these diagnosis, this might arguably be the bigger win in the bill, at least when it comes to pocketbooks.
Four other European countries—Norway, Finland, Denmark, and Spain—have all recently passed similar laws.
Sources: Gay Times, AP, Norden.org
