Montero Pushes Through Transgender Rights, Abortion Reform & Menstrual Leave
Lawmakers also gave final approval to a law that gives women paid time off if they are diagnosed with severe menstrual pain.
The most controversial measure was the law allowing people over 16 to change their legally recognised gender without medical evaluation.
Previously, people needed a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria and to have been on hormonal treatment for two years to change their gender on their ID card.
Those aged 12 to 13 will need a judge’s approval while people aged 14 and 15 will need parental permission.
The Spanish parliament has approved a raft of laws that enhance abortion and transgender rights for teenagers, while making Spain the first country in the world that will entitle women the right to paid menstrual leave.
The driving force behind the laws was Equality Minister Irene Montero, of the left-wing party Unidas Podemos (United We Can), who form minority members of the PSOE Socialist party government of Pedro Sanchez.
Speaking yesterday, Thursday 16th February she told lawmakers that the new law recognized transgender people’s right to free determination and prevented being transgender from being treated as a pathology.
“This law recognizes the right of trans people to self-determine their gender identity, it de-pathologizes trans people. Trans people are not sick people, they are just people,” Montero said ahead of the vote.
She described the law as among “the most important laws of this legislature.”
Montero later celebrated the bill being voted into law on Twitter.
YA SON LEY. DIRECTAS AL BOE 🏳️⚧️🏳️🌈💚#ConquistasFeministas pic.twitter.com/kph3phObPl
— Irene Montero (@IreneMontero) February 16, 2023
Lawmakers also gave final approval to a law that gives women paid time off if they are diagnosed with severe menstrual pain.
The reforms of the abortion law means that those aged 16 and 17-year will not need parental approval to have an abortion.
However it is the transgender law that is the most controversial – allowing people over 16 to change their legally recognised gender without medical evaluation.
Previously, people needed a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria and to have been on hormonal treatment for two years to change their gender on their ID card.
Those aged below 16 will need parental permission and a judge’s approval.
The law passed by 191 votes to 60, with 91 abstentions including members of the government, following a rift in the governing left-wing coalition ahead of elections scheduled for May.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPANISH NEWS
