TGEU Welcomes Council of Europe Recognition of Trans Parents Rights

TGEU warmly welcomes the recognition of trans parents and trans children in a Resolution on Rainbow Families, adopted by the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly on 10 October 2018.

“We are immensely grateful for the political support expressed by the Parliamentary Assembly for the rights of trans parents and kids. Policy makers far too often leave them alone and this is very dangerous for them.” comments Dinah Bons, TGEU Strategic Director.

Since sterilisation is not a precondition to legal gender recognition anymore in many countries in Europe we see more and more trans people struggling to be recognised in their gender identity when they become parents. Trans men who gave birth are registered with their dead names and as “mother” on birth certificates of their children. This violates the right to privacy of both the parent and the child. It can lead to unwanted outings, discrimination and even violence.

The Parliamentary Assembly has recognised this problem and demands that trans people should be recognised for who they are in the documents of their children.

TGEU calls on States to ensure that a trans person is listed in their children’s birth certificate with their recognised gender identity.

“Trans kids should be given the chance to have their gender identity recognised. Everything else is discrimination because of age.“ TGEU Co-Chair Cleménce Zamora-Cruz comments.

Read more on the resolution and the situation of trans families.

Download the resolution and report “Private and family life: achieving equality regardless of sexual orientation”.