A “chilling” new EU-wide strategy could see children pick their own gender. Under new EU proposals member states could be punished for challenging genders under a new strategy.
This means that any age limits on gender recognition could be scrapped as well as therapy to check whether youngsters really want to change their gender. The new proposals are contained in the European Commission’s new “LGBTIQ+ equality strategy 2026-2030”. The EU proceeds to take a swipe at countries such as Britain that require a doctor’s approval before a person can be allowed to identify legally as the opposite sex.
In the UK, you can legally change your sex on your birth certificate, but a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC) is required under the Gender Recognition Act 2004 (GRA), which typically necessitates a diagnosis of gender dysphoria from a GP or clinical psychologist.
A GP can provide a referral to a gender specialist for this purpose, but they do not directly grant the GRC.
The equality strategy states: “Requirements for legal gender recognition vary significantly across Member States. While a number of Member States have adopted self-determination models, others impose medical procedures, which the European Court of Human Rights has found may infringe human rights.
“The Commission will facilitate exchanges of best practices among Member States to support the development of legal gender recognition procedures based on self-determination that are free from age restrictions”.
Calling the plans “sinister” Maya Forstater, chief executive of sex-based rights charity Sex Matters, said Brexit is a “mercy” as the UK does not have to abide by the plans, according to The Telegraph.
EU regulations no longer directly apply to the UK, as the UK left the EU on December 31, 2020.
MS Forstater said: “This chilling EU-wide strategy pushes legal gender self-identification for children of any age and a ban on talking therapy for vulnerable children.
“It is a mercy that British campaigners for sex-based rights don’t have to deal with this sinister strategy and the pernicious capture of EU institutions, on top of our own challenges in the UK.”