Draft Law on the Changing of Forenames and the Determination of Gender Identity

V. Beck

The Act on the Changing of Forenames and the Determination of Gender Identity in Special Cases, or Transsexuals Act (Gesetz über die Änderung der Vornamen und die Feststellung der GeschlechtszugehÃrigkeit in besonderen Fällen - Transsexuellengesetz (TSG)) is almost 30 years old and no longer accords with current scientific knowledge. It creates unjustified obstacles to the changing of forenames and the determination of gender identity which violate the dignity and self-determination of transsexual persons. The Federal Constitutional Court has already ruled on five separate occasions that individual provisions of the Act are unconstitutional. Other provisions of the Act are also subject to criticism under constitutional law. The TSG is replaced with the Act on the Changing of Forenames and the Determination of Gender Identity (Gesetz über die Änderung der Vornamen und die Feststellung der GeschlechtszugehÃ