The trans persons´ human rights organisation Trasek and the LGBTI human rights organisation Seta together with 18 other youth, student and human rights CSOs published on October 26th 2012 an open letter to the government of Finland, demanding that the requirements violating human rights in the current gender reassignment act should be removed.
The signatories say that Finland should fulfill its international obligations such as recommendations made by the Human Rights Commissioner of the Council of Europe, and acknowledge its duty to implement the human rights of persons with diverse gender identities. One´s legal gender should only be based on selfdetermination and selfdefinition by the person. Requirements such as infertility or any medical treatment or diagnosis should be abolished as prerequisites for gender marker change.
According to the organisations, the government should see to it that a committee is formed without further delay to prepare the necessary legal changes. Representation by people affected by the gender reassignment act as well as human rights experts should be secured within the committee.
The organisations published the open letter after a leading government official had said in the media on October 12th that a potential reform process would possibly only be considered by the government after the next parliamentary elections that take place in 2015, due to budgetary restrictions within the ministry of social affairs and health.
More information:
Aija Salo, Secretary General, Seta – LGBTI Rights in Finland, paasihteeri@seta.fi
The whole letter in Finnish can be read here.