Trans Rights Map 2021 Documents Alarming Loss in Trans Rights

On the occasion of the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia, TGEU is launching an interactive version of its Trans Rights Map in English and Russian.

TGEU Trans Rights Map illustrates the legal situation of 49 countries in Europe and 5 in Central Asia. It shows country-specific requirements for legal gender recognition, as well as existing protections for trans people in asylum, hate crime/speech, non-discrimination, health, and family.

This year’s Trans Rights Map documents an alarming loss in rights when compared to 2020. While progressive countries in Europe and Central Asia have slowed down in increasing protections for trans people, moderate countries have often stalled progress altogether. Worse yet, a growing number of countries have been aggressively removing rights from trans people.

On the positive side, eight European States now allow a person to adapt key documents based on self-determination, with procedures that are human rights compliant. Still, recognition for non-binary people is only possible in two States: Iceland and Malta. Considering that the Fundamental Rights Agency found that 62% of trans respondents to the LGBTI II Survey (2019) did not identify exclusively as one gender, the absence of non-binary recognition fails the majority of the trans community.

Ten States still require a person to be sterilised in order to have their gender legally recognised. Amongst those, five are EU member States: Czech Republic, Finland, Latvia, Romania, and Slovakia. Alarmingly, two countries have actively removed (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan) or even banned legal gender recognition (Hungary). For more information, read TGEU’s media statement.

Interactive Trans Rights Map

This year, TGEU developed an interactive version of its Trans Rights Map that will hopefully be used by trans organisations, national and international stakeholders, and journalists as a source of information and an advocacy tool.

TGEU’s new interactive website features 12 thematic maps in six categories: legal gender recognition, asylum, hate speech/crime, non-discrimination, health, and family, adding up to a total of 30 indicators. The website is available in English and Russian, and includes filtering and exporting functions. Fast facts are also available for people in a hurry.

Alongside the website, the index and maps can be downloaded in pdf for “Mental Health Diagnosis,” “Sterilisation,” “Asylum,” “Protections against Hate,” and “Non-Discrimination.” In addition to English and Russian, this year the index and maps are also available in BCMS, French, and Spanish.

Fast facts

Trans Rights Index 2021

The Trans Rights Index provides detailed information covering 30 indicators in six legal categories: legal gender recognition, asylum, hate crime/speech, non-discrimination, health, and family.

Trans Rights Map 2021

Click on the image to download them in PDF format.