Stop forced sterilisations in Sweden

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Topic started by Ash R (forwardtherapy)

British-Australian guy, early 40s working as a therapist and counsellor. I've lived in Brighton, London, Norwich, Cambridge, Edinburgh & on the edge of Surrey / West Sussex. As an online counsellor, most work is with gay & bi men around relationship, intimacy, anxiety, mid-life crisis, life direction, confidence, sex problems and alcohol /drug use. I help people respond to challenges & setbacks of life & get back in touch with hopes and dreams. See my writings & video

A topic from News & Current Affairs: Human Rights

forwardtherapyThu 19/01/12 05:40

Transgender people in Sweden who want to legally change their gender are still being forced to undergo surgery that ends their fertility and permanently prevents them having children.

If you oppose this abuse of human rights, please sign this petition to the Prime Minister of Sweden:

http://allout.org/en/actions/stop_forced_sterilization

Some background:

Under current Swedish law, those who undergo sex change must be single, Swedish citizens, 18 years old and sterile. Just 6 months ago there was agreement on this issue by all the major political parties that sterilisation should not be mandatory. The Liberal Party, Centre Party and 'The Moderates' (Sweden's conservative party) were all in agreement that the laws should change. So it came as a shock last week when the Minister for Social Affairs announced there would be continued investigation i.e. continued mandatory sterilisation. Now it is just the Christian Democrats who are blocking it. That's the reason: no scientific or social purpose but in the name of Christianity!

Further the National Board of Social Welfare - the government agency responsible for policy around the issue - have proposed and approved the changes take place.

So this is a totally political issue. It is not policy from academically qualified people but bigoted politicians who are blocking the proposed changes.

Sweden also has a dark history of forcibly sterilising Roma and Sami people. Now again we see politicians creating an image of desirable and undesirable citizens.

Why is it so important to maintain a gender binary? Some of these Christian Democrats argue that it is not 'natural' for men to bear children or for women to produce sperm. But these are the same people who once argued that it was not 'natural' for gay men or lesbians to parent children or to get married (this argument is still being used outside of Sweden of course).

Why do we even have 'male' and 'female' on drivers licences and passports? Someone tried to explain to me that this was for identification purposes. So if I am pulled over by the police for speeding, it is important they know whether I am a man or a woman?

Changing sex takes time and is an ordeal for most people. Having yet another barrier or issue is detrimental to the mental health of those people. Adults, not the state, should be left to decide whether they want children or not.

forwardtherapyThu 19/01/12 06:00

For those who didn't know, the UK has put an end to sterilisation as a legal prerequisite for recognition and other European states are following.

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Stop forced sterilisations in Sweden

Topic started by Ash R (forwardtherapy)

A topic from News & Current Affairs: Human Rights

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