Danish citizens will no longer have to have any surgical procedures carried out in order to change their sex, announced the country’s economy and interior minister.
Margrethe Vestager revealed in a statement that they have dropped the sterilisation requirement for transgendered people who want to apply for a legal sex change and receive an official new personal identification number. She explained that transgendered people will no longer have to “mutilate their bodies” just to adhere to the rules, making life more dignified for them.
The announcement came shortly after a statement from the World Health Organization (WHO) that urged countries to abolish compulsory sterilisation laws, describing them as a human rights violation.
Last year Sweden passed a similar law, which has resulted in some Swedish transsexuals filing for compensation for having previously gone through the surgical procedures to ensure they could officially change their sex.
Denmark and Sweden are among the countries that have made their laws easier for their transgender communities, but many countries in Europe still require transsexuals to undergo sterilisation before they can apply for a legal sex change.