New Germany law enables parents to "transition" babies from the moment they are born

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The German Parliament, or Bundestag, passed one of the world’s most far-reaching sex self-determination policies on April 12, despite protests from women’s rights campaigners. The Self-Determination Act (SBGG) establishes ‘gender identity’ as a protected characteristic and allows parents to change the sex marker on their children’s documents from birth.

Supported by Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s three-party coalition and promoted and supported by the Socialist Democratic Party (SDP), the SBGG also creates the potential for citizens to be fined up to €10,000 (approx. $10,800 USD) for revealing a person’s given name and birth sex without their permission – an action that trans activists staunchly oppose and refer to as ‘deadnaming.’

But arguably the most troubling aspect of the law relates to a portion of the bill which permits parents to alter the recorded sex of children beginning from birth. From the age of five years old, it allows for name and sex changes if there is “mutual consent” between the child and their parents.

According to a description of the bill on the Bundestag’s official website, the Self-Determination Act was designed “to implement a core idea of ??the Basic Law, the protection of gender identity, by giving people the opportunity to change their gender entry and first name without discrimination.”

It continues that following a change, a one-year “blocking period” will apply where no further changes are allowed, though a person may change their name and sex once again after the year passes.

If parents choose to do so, they may alter the identifying information of their children from birth. The SBGG stipulates that the consent of a child is necessary from the age of five, and, “from the age of 14, minors can do it themselves, but require the consent of their guardians.”

However, should parents refuse to provide legal permission, “a family court would decide based on the best interests of the child,” thus allowing the state to overrule the wishes of parents or legal guardians.

Crucially, the law includes a ban on disclosure that prohibits naming the sex and former birth name of an individual. This prohibition also applies to family members in the SBGG. Anyone who violates the ban on disclosure will face a fine of up to €10,000, which could discourage family members from coming forward to discuss how the identity change impacts them.

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