German bill would allow children to change name, legal gender without parents’ consent

The kind of ‘expert opinion’ that German courts could use to usurp parents’ authority may not even need to come from medical professionals, the bill indicates.

March 10, 2021 (LifeSiteNews) — A new bill proposed by the German government would allow gender-confused children as young as 14 to change their first name and documented gender on government records, regardless of their parents’ wishes.

The legislation, which was drafted by the Interior Ministry (led by a Christian Democrat) and Justice Ministry (led by a Social Democrat), seeks to overhaul Germany’s documentation requirements, enabling courts to modify gender entries based on a single “expert opinion.” Current — already radically pro-LGBT — German law requires a double assessment.

The rule shift would apply to gender dysphoric minors who try to change their records, with courts deciding “the best interests of the child” in the event of parental pushback.

“For the application … the minor must have reached the age of 14” and obtained “the consent of his or her legal representative,” the bill states. “If the legal representative does not agree, the family court will replace the consent if the change in gender or first name does not contradict the best interests of the child.”

The kind of “expert opinion” that German courts could use to usurp parents’ authority may not even need to come from medical professionals, the bill indicates.

“If the person is a minor in proceedings … the court will collect the expert opinion of a person who, due to their training and professional experience, is sufficiently familiar with the specifics of transsexualism,” it reads.

“According to the wording, the person does not have to be trained as a specialist or psychotherapist, so the advice certificate could also be issued by a trans organization,” International Family News said.

More than 19,000 people have signed a petition launched by Demo Für Alle, a leading German pro-family group, to stop the legislation from moving forward.

“The Federal Government is adopting the radical, unscientific thesis of gender ideology, according to which gender is purely subjective and cannot be scientifically verified. Sex is de facto abolished,” Demo Für Alle said, slamming the bill as a “trap for children.”

Germany’s proposal to allow adolescents to “change” their gender comes just three months after a senior English court largely banned “gender transition” drugs for minors under 16, citing their inability to give meaningful consent.

“The court considered that it was highly unlikely that a child aged 13 or under would be competent to give consent to the administration of puberty blockers,” the ruling said. “It was also doubtful that a child aged 14 or 15 could understand and weigh the long-term risks and consequences of the administration of puberty blocking drugs.”

The high court pointed to risks of “loss of fertility” and “unknown physical consequences” linked to transgender hormone drugs, calling puberty disruption “a pathway to much greater medical interventions.”

Medical experts have similarly denounced the effects of transgenderism on minors, warning of permanent physical and mental damage. According to Dr. Michael Laidlaw, an endocrinologist trained at the University of Southern California, “lost years of bone development cannot be regained” by children given puberty-blockers.

Source: Life Site News