Bavaria's Minister of Social Affairs, Ulrike Scharf, criticizes the government coalition's new self-determination law

Created: 07/15/2022, 08:30

Ulrike Scharf © StMAS/Waterkotte

Erding – Federal Family Minister Lisa Paus and Federal Justice Minister Marco Buschmann recently presented the traffic light plans for a new self-determination law.

According to this, young people from the age of 14 should be able to change their first name and gender up to once a year at the registry office - without an expert opinion, as was previously necessary, and also without gender reassignment.

The Bavarian Minister of Social Affairs Ulrike Scharf criticizes these plans sharply: "The social policy of this traffic light is ideological, arbitrary and driven by the spirit of the times.

The planned self-determination law is another example of this.

In the future, young people whose identity formation is far from complete should be able to change their first name and gender like socks.

I see the danger that this could lead to a real trans fashion among young people, which would lead to psychological stress and would hurt and degrade really transsexual people in Germany.

A gender reassignment may be irreversible.

Anyone who chooses them needs professional support.

We have to ensure this support – with dignity and in the interests of those affected.

My appeal to those responsible in Berlin: Let our young people find their identity in peace and quiet and let us support them effectively.

The new law on self-determination certainly has good ideas, but in its entirety it is a law of arbitrariness – as arbitrary as the politics of this traffic light as a whole.”

StMAS