Gender is a multidimensional concept. There are two legally recognized genders in Finland: female and masculine. A person`s sex is assigned as one of them at birth or during the sex reassignment process. At the individual level, gender self-determination, i.e. the perception and definition of one`s own gender, is the most recommended way to understand gender. Due to the support of five of the eight parties in parliament elected in 2007,[12][8][9][10][11] it was deemed possible that same-sex marriage would be legalized after the 2011 parliamentary elections. Finland. Finland, like several other European Union countries, has a law that prohibits married transgender people from legally recognizing their gender. In other words, to obtain a legal gender change in Finland, a person must be single or, if married, divorced. This type of law creates an impossible and unfair choice between the basic human right to marriage and the right to legal recognition of one`s own gender. Gender studies is a multidisciplinary approach.

Researchers study, for example, what gender means in society and how gender relates to power and hierarchies. Trans activists have argued that the law does not take into account people under the age of 18, who are also legally allowed to transfer. The Equality Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, gender identity and gender expression. Gender Equality Act Discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation has been punishable since 1995 and on the basis of gender identity or gender expression since 2005. The Law on Equality between Women and Men prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender and gender identity. [43] In 2014, the Finnish Parliament amended the law and introduced new guarantees in the areas of employment, provision of goods and services, education, and health services. [44] As is clear from the history of the Citizens` Initiative for a Gender-Neutral Marriage, the social situation of members of the LGBT community is generally characterized by support and openness. The current law „last updated in 2002“ states that transgender people must be infertile and capable of childbearing in order to legally change their sex. It is very disappointing to learn that Finland`s record on LGBT rights is affected in this way, and one can only hope that things will change for the better in the future. For a country that has neutral language, one would hope that politicians would follow. The current Transgender Act dates back to 2002 and has not undergone any significant changes since then. Finally, a psychiatric assessment would no longer be necessary in the context of a legal sex change.

The removal of this step, as well as the medical requirements, essentially means that legal sex reassignment is a decision made solely by a person without the intervention of third parties. A more controversial issue was whether 15-year-olds could legally change their gender. A transgender transgender advocacy group has lobbied the issue, saying children are gender conscious from an early age. The issue is controversial for some political parties, especially the Centre Party. According to the newspaper Helsingin Sanomat, the way fatherhood and motherhood are recorded in the demographic information system will also change. There will be a separate paternity or maternity record that can be changed if a person corrects their gender. The National Coalition voted in favor of same-sex marriage at its June 2010 congress,[12] although the vice-chairman of its parliamentary group, Ben Zyskowicz, said that a majority of NCP MPs opposed it. [13] The Centre Party did not have a general position on same-sex marriage,[11] although it opposed adoption rights for same-sex couples.

[14] The Christian Democrats[15] and the True Finns have taken a negative stance on same-sex marriage in their election manifestos. [16] On 6 April 2021, a citizens` initiative was proposed proposing changes to the Transgender Act, such as removing the sterilisation requirement and the right for transgender people aged 15 and over to legally change their sex with the permission of a guardian. It reached the required 50,000 signatures 1 day after its submission and was sent to Parliament on September 24 with a total of 68,374 signatures. [57] Sakris Kupila, a transgender activist and medical student, was denied a legal sex reassignment operation after refusing to undergo the process and campaigning with Amnesty International for a change in the law. [52] Transgender people must also be diagnosed with a mental disorder in order to reassign legal gender. [3] Gay travelers can rest assured that they can enjoy all that this forward-thinking country has to offer and more! It`s always worth learning a little more about the legal and social situation of members of the LGBT community before they travel, so travelers can put things in context. An intersex person has physical sex characteristics that do not fit typical definitions of male or female. Intersex is a natural anatomical variation of gender. Promoting gender equality often requires an intersectional approach. The concept of intersectionality describes how, in addition to gender, a person`s position in society is influenced by many other differences such as social class, age, origin, and sexual orientation. Question: „Do you think transgender people should be able to change their civil status documents to match their inner gender identity?“ Although a first bill was rejected in 2013, a constitutional amendment meant that citizens` initiatives with at least 50,000 signatories had to be considered in parliament – when a citizens` campaign called Tahdon2013 („I do it in 2013“) received more than 100,000 signatures online on the first day, the way was paved for the legalization of same-sex marriage.