SD Proposed Scrapping the Gender Change Law – Was Voted Down

On Tuesday, the Swedish parliament’s Committee on Social Affairs considered a committee initiative from the Sweden Democrats to repeal the new gender legal recognition law. The proposal was only supported by the Christian Democrats and was voted down by the other parties.

The initiative aimed for parliament to request the government to return with legislation that would, in effect, abolish the current system and replace it with a more restrictive framework. According to the Sweden Democrats, the current law allows for legal gender changes without medical evaluation—something the party considers fundamentally wrong.

The current gender legal recognition law came into force in July 2024 after a parliamentary decision. The reform, among other things, removed the requirement for a medical diagnosis, making the process primarily administrative and handled by an authority instead of the healthcare system.

Debate Over the Law’s Consequences

Only the Christian Democrats supported the proposal. SD: “The law is a failure”

Proponents have described the reform as a simplification that strengthens individual autonomy and reduces bureaucracy for people who wish to change their legal gender. Critics, however, argue that the legislation lacks adequate protective mechanisms and could have consequences for, for example, sports, statistics, protected environments, and the situation of children.

The Sweden Democrats and Christian Democrats opposed the law already at the time of the parliamentary decision. In the committee initiative, it was emphasized that the absence of medical evaluation means the state lacks oversight functions and that the legislation should therefore be repealed and replaced.

However, the majority in the committee rejected the proposal. As a result, no legislative work will proceed from the Committee on Social Affairs for the time being.

The Sweden Democrats say the issue will continue to be pushed politically and link it to the upcoming election campaign, while the governing parties and the rest of the opposition currently stand by the system introduced in 2024.