Swedish Parliament votes to make it easier for people to legally change their gender
The Swedish parliament passed a law Wednesday lowering the age required for people to legally change their gender from 18 to 16.
Young people under 18 will still need approval from a guardian, a doctor, and the National Board of Health and Welfare.
However, a gender dysphoria diagnosis — defined by medical professionals as psychological distress experienced by those whose gender expression does not match their gender identity — will no longer be required.
The vote was 234 for and 94 against with 21 listed as absent.
The center-right coalition of Sweden’s conservative prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, has been split on the issue, with his own Moderates and the Liberals largely supporting the law while the small Christian Democrats were against it. The populist party with far-right roots Sweden Democrats, who support the government in parliament but are not part of the government, also opposed it.