Germany's parliament have passed a 'self determination law' making it easier for trans people to legally change their first name and gender.
  • @[email protected]
    29•7 months ago

    A friend of mine has a trans gf from Germany so he explained this quite nicely to me today. There are still two relatively peripheral issues. One is that surnames can’t be changed, which is a problem for anyone from a language with gender-marked surnames (e.g. Russian, Ukrainian, Czech). It’s not an acceptable situation neither with regards to gender nor to grammar (masculine name + feminine surname is just… wrong). The other is that apparently when transitioning you have to change your name, which shouldn’t be necessary for those with gender neutral names that they’d prefer to keep.

    Still, it’s a big and nice step forward.

    • @[email protected]
      9•7 months ago

      The other is that apparently when transitioning you have to change your name, which shouldn’t be necessary for those with gender neutral names that they’d prefer to keep.

      I think you can keep it now if it’s gender neutral! But I still think it shouldn’t be any of their business to judge whether your name matches your gender identity, it’s pretty personal.

    • @[email protected]English
      2•7 months ago

      masculine name + feminine surname is just… wrong

      I don’t quite understand what you mean.
      The surname is the family name and is typically not gendered in Germany.

      Edit: I seem to have completely blanked out on the preceding sentence about other origins. I can see that this might be an issue.

      • @[email protected]
        3•7 months ago

        Right, that’s why I listed several languages where the surname is gendered, and people who are native to those languages (including their naming conventions) also live in Germany. Especially today, considering the exodus of Ukrainians.

        For example, the current president of Ukraine is called Zelensky. His wife, who took up his surname, is called Zelenska. Or, there’s Putin, and his mother/sister/wife/daughter have or would have the surname Putina. The -y and “null” endings are masculine, -a is feminine.

      • @pandacoder
        1•7 months ago

        And if you are from a country that has gendered surnames, you live in Germany, and are trans?

    • @[email protected]
      -1•7 months ago

      Surnames can always be changed if there’s an important reason. You could argue that this would be the case if you have a gendered surname. Worst case someone has to sue to get precedent on this.

  • @disguy_ovahea
    23•7 months ago

    Somewhere between 1945 and now, Germany and the US decided to slowly trade places.

    and I want to trade back

    Jokes aside, congrats on the progressive legislation!

    Edit: No, I don’t mean I wish the US to return to 1945.🙄 I’m simply saying Germany has continued to become more socially progressive while the US has been struggling with authoritarianism.