A look at the 15+ countries which now allow gender self-ID

Still early days

The World Health Organization (WHO) reclassified being trans as recently as 2019 so that it was no longer considered a mental disorder. This followed a similar move over 30 years ago to declassify homosexuality – which is now commemorated as the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Lesbophobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT).

According to the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA), at least 25 UN member states:

allow for legal gender recognition without prohibitive requirements.

However, only around 15 countries currently allow transgender people to change their status with a simple declaration. In other countries, the legal and administrative process can take years, and it may include requirements such as psychiatric diagnosis, hormone treatment, gender reassignment surgery, or even sterilisation.

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Argentina, the pioneer

Argentina has led the way on this aspect of trans rights, allowing a change of gender on national identity cards with a simple declaration since 2012. Several South American countries have since adopted similar laws, including Uruguay, Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Peru.

In Chile, the gender identity law came into force in 2019, having gained traction following the international success of the country’s Oscar-winning film ‘A Fantastic Woman’, which starred transgender actress Daniela Vega.

Denmark, first in Europe

In 2010, the Council of Europe adopted a resolution calling on member states to guarantee the rights of transgender people to obtain official documents with their chosen status without requiring other procedures such as sterilisation, surgery, or hormone therapy.

Four years later, Denmark became the first European country to allow people to apply for a legal gender change and obtain a new gender status on their identification card with a simple declaration. Other European countries have since followed, including Malta, Sweden, Ireland, Norway, and Belgium.

Since 2017, France has allowed trans people to change their status by asking a court. France was also the first country worldwide to remove trans identity from its list of mental illnesses in 2010.

In June 2022, Germany also unveiled plans to make it easier for trans people to officially change their first name and gender. Human Rights Watch stated that the:

simple, administrative self-declaration process proposed would remove the financial and time burdens of complicated court requirements.

Beyond male and female

Some countries, particularly in South Asia, have traditionally recognised genders that are neither male nor female.

In 2009, Pakistan became one of the first to legally recognise a third sex category. The country issued its first passport with an ‘x’ gender marker almost a decade later.

Nepal, in 2013, added a transgender category on citizenship certificates, which act as a national identity card. In the same year, Australia allowed its citizens to add a third category to passports. In 2014, India’s Supreme Court recognised the existence of a third gender.

From 2018 onwards, transgender people have been able to register to vote as a third gender in neighbouring Bangladesh. In the same year, Germany also legalised a third gender on birth certificates.

In the US in 2021, the State Department eased gender selection on passports, allowing transgender passport holders to use ‘X’ for gender. The move began officially in April 2022. A press release from the US Department of State said that:

After thoughtful consideration of the research conducted and feedback from community members, we concluded that the definition of the X gender marker on State Department public forms will be “Unspecified or another gender identity.”  This definition is respectful of individuals’ privacy while advancing inclusion.

A demonstration of respect