May 17, 2023
Cited article by Daniel Boffey, The Guardian
HRRC urges Slovakia's Members of Parliament to reject a bill which will end legal recognition of transgender people. Ending legal recognition will likely fuel violence and discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community, and also will go against international and European human rights law.
Article Summary
Slovakia MP's are facing international pressure regarding an upcoming vote on a bill that would end the legal recognition of transgender people. This bill will require legal documentation to determine gender based on chromosomes at birth, rather than the current practice of allowing the individual to make the determination themselves. Health organizations and LGBTQ+ rights advocates in the country have condemned the drafted bill and consider it a direct attack on trans people.
Slovakian citizens have an official “birth number” that indicates date of birth and gender, and which is used on identification documents such as passports. While transgender people have been able to access legal gender recognition in Slovakia for 40 years, the new bill would make it impossible for a birth number to be changed without "proof". Those advocating against the bill noted that it violates international law and the European Convention on Human Rights.