After cancellation for third gender
Politicians want to listen to affected trans people
The Federal Council did not want to allow a third gender in official papers. But that could change. The legal commission of the National Council is now holding a hearing after there were contradictions in the arguments of the Federal Council.
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Should non-binary people continue to have an F for woman or M for man in their passport?
Sophie ReinhardtEditor Politics
The Federal Council made it clear last year that the Swiss population is not ready to accept an official third gender in official papers. He opposed the possibility as they know Germany and Austria. There, people who do not feel they belong to any gender can have an X or the word “diverse” entered in their passport.
As an argument, the Swiss government and the Department of Justice – at that time still under the direction of Karin Keller-Sutter (59) – used the negative attitude of the National Ethics Committee (NEK) as a reason.
In doing so, however, the government bent the truth. Because the NEK previously stated in a report that the current regulation and practice were unsatisfactory. The President of the Ethics Committee, Andrea Büchler (54), publicly advocated the introduction of a third gender.
Trans organization wants to be heard
Now the Legal Commission wants to know what’s going on: At the request of the Green National Councilor Sibel Arslan (42), the panel is conducting a hearing. “It’s about untangling the contradictory statements,” Arslan explains when asked.
That is why the experts of the ethics committee and the Federal Office of Justice are summoned. Christa Markwalder (47, FDP), President of the Commission for Legal Questions, confirms that they also want to listen to those affected.
The interest groups of those affected had reacted with horror to the Federal Council’s decision. “This is a slap in the face against non-binary people,” said lawyer Alecs Recher from the Transgender Network Switzerland to the “Tages-Anzeiger”. The organization therefore welcomed on Thursday that the legal commission now also wanted to listen to the affected community.
New start with a new minister?
With the newly responsible SP Minister of Justice Elisabeth Baume-Schneider (59), the debate could also take a new direction. At least that’s what Arslan hopes: “The Federal Council’s report is a nuisance.” The National Councilor believes that this decision must be corrected. “Ultimately, it’s about giving the people affected a real place and full respect in our society.”
A study by the Sotomo research institute from 2021 also shows that a large part of the Swiss population would not be bothered if there were another category in official papers in addition to “female” and “male”. According to this survey, 53 percent of the population are in favor or more in favor of there being an additional entry for non-binary people in official documents.