Hundreds changed gender in 2022
Society – Hundreds of people have changed their gender in Switzerland since simplified gender entry was introduced at the beginning of the year. In the big cities alone, according to a survey by “NZZ am Sonntag”, 350 people changed their gender at the civil registry office in the first half of the year.
In Zurich, 80 people changed their gender, in Basel 47, in Bern 46, in Geneva 36 and in Lucerne 19. Those affected were between 12 and 75 years old, nine younger than 16 years. The proportion of those who change from female to male is slightly higher than the opposite case.
Since the beginning of the year, anyone who wants to change their official gender no longer has to go to court in Switzerland. A simple declaration at the registry office is sufficient. You can have the first name and the gender entered in the civil status register changed. The federal parliament passed the amendment to the law in the 2020 winter session.
Positive balance
The civil registry offices gave a positive preliminary assessment of the new regulation. The goal is to keep the hurdles as low as possible, and that’s what they are today, said Switzerland’s top civil registrar, Roland Peterhans, in an interview with the newspaper. “If it controls people who change their gender and want to change back after three weeks, we would have to go through the books. But we didn’t have this case.”
The President of the Swiss Association for Civil Status was also not aware of any systematic abuse. “We haven’t heard of the fact that men change their gender in order to retire earlier or not have to join the military.”
He himself had around 30 such conversations and met people who had been registered with the wrong gender for many years and were now happy to be able to take this step, said the civil registry officer of the city of Zurich. “It’s amazing progress for them that they no longer have to expose themselves in court.”