quinta-feira, janeiro 26, 2012

Forced Sterilization for Transgender People in Sweden

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=N5BItMiWM60
Forced Sterilization for Transgender People in Sweden
Little known fact about Sweden, that supposed bastion of liberal idealism: If a Swedish transgender person wants to legally update their gender on official ID papers, a 1972 law requires them to get both divorced and sterilized first.
Sweden is considered extremely gay-friendly, with one of the highest rates of popular support for same-sex marriage, and more than half the population supports gay adoption. Arguing that the current law is both unpopular and abusive, the country's moderate and liberal parties want to see it repealed. In response, the small but powerful Christian Democrat party formed a coalition with other right-of-center parties to join in upholding the requirement for sterilization. End result: a proposal for new legislation that allows trans—a preferred term for many people who undergo gender reassignment—to be married but continues to force them to be sterilized.
Nicole Pasulka Social Media Intern Nicole Pasulka is the social media intern at Mother Jones. For more of her stories, click here. Follow her on Twitter