laws and their opponents in the United Kingdom and Spain

Puberty blockers or sex change with civil status, the United Kingdom and Spain have passed different laws for the trans community, sparking outcry from the opposition or conservatives.

In England, the decision has just been taken to limit the prescription of puberty blockers. Faced with too much demand, public health services prefer to close the center specializing in this area. While in Spain, changing one’s sex through civil registration became legal from the age of 16, a little over a year ago, the Trans law still arouses just as much controversy.

UK: more than 5,000 requests per year for puberty blockers

The gender identity development service will close at the end of March 2024. After an independent investigation, the authorities found that requests have exploded, from 250 per year 10 years ago to more than 5 000 now. Using puberty blockers allows a teenager to prevent the growth of facial hair or a teenager to stop the growth of her breasts. Which actually determines its feminine or masculine appearance. These medications make it possible to limit future treatments or even operations in adulthood to fully experience your trans identity.

The number of requests, coming from minors, ended up worrying and public health in the United Kingdom (the NHS) decided to change method, for a less general, more targeted approach. “We concluded that there is insufficient evidence to support the safety or clinical effectiveness of anti-puberty hormones to make the treatment routinely available at this time.”says the NHS. The dedicated service will disappear, but adolescents currently undergoing treatment will continue to be supported. There are around a hundred in total. Their protocol will continue in hospitals in Leeds and London.

A conservative wants to ban the prescription of hormones to minors

England is not giving up puberty blockers, but medical authorities say they want to better regulate their prescription. They estimate that the follow-up has not been thorough enough until now and that the adolescents were not sufficiently supported, particularly on the pediatric, neurological and psychological levels. Support which will be developed in two new services which will open in April 2024 in London and Liverpool. A more targeted, less massive approach is what the health services are putting forward.

The Mermaids association which supports transgender youth talks about a decision “disappointing”. “This news is a blow and will profoundly affect our communities”assures the association. On the contrary, in the ranks of the current political majority, we welcome this decision. This is the case of Liz Truss, the former First conservative minister. She has drafted a bill currently being discussed in Parliament which would prohibit the prescription of hormones to minors, as long as this treatment alters their body and calls into question their gender.

Spain: a sex change procedure at civil status extended to 12-16 year olds

On February 16, 2023, the “Trans Law” was adopted by Spanish MPs, a historic day for activists LGBT. This text above all makes it possible to simplify the procedure for changing sex in civil status. Self-determination of gender is now possible in Spain, via a simple administrative declaration. From the age of 16, people can change their name and gender in civil status, without parental consent and without having to provide medical or psychological proof attesting to gender dysphoria, or proof of hormonal treatment.

Furthermore, this law makes it possible to extend gender self-determination to 12-16 year olds, but under certain conditions. 12-14 year olds must obtain the green light from the courts, while 14-16 year olds only need the agreement of their legal guardians. A very controversial point which last year caused strong tensions within the former coalition government, between Podemos and the socialists who wanted to modify the text.

The opposition wants to repeal this law, Madrid has already modified it

A year after its entry into force, this law still raises just as much controversy. While LGBT associations and progressive media welcome its entry into force, on the right, the Trans Law is still as much criticized. The conservative newspaper El Mundo mentioned Tuesday March 19, 2024 “the explosion” of the number of cases of sex changes in Spain: “400% more cases, while Europe goes into reverse”we can read in the newspaper.

But that’s not all, the leader of the opposition and the Popular Party, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, has already stated several times that he would like to repeal this law which makes no sense, according to him. “It is much easier to legally change your sex than to take your BAC. It is much easier to change your sex than to obtain your driving license, from a legal point of view. You just have to go to the marital status and submit the idea. Just say: ‘me, from tomorrow, I am a lady, or from tomorrow, I am a gentleman’. We will make a trans law. There is a trans collective that has its rights and we will regulate them, of course. But this trans law, no”, says Alberto Núñez Feijóo. The Madrid region, led by the ultraliberal Isabel Díaz Ayuso, has already taken the lead by modifying Madrid’s trans and LGBT laws in December 2023, provoking the anger of the central government of Pedro Sánchez.