German court blocks trans sterilization requirement
Germany's Constitutional Court ruled Jan. 28 that it is unconstitutional to require transgender people to undergo sterilization or gender-reassignment surgery before they can be legally recognized as a member of the other sex.
The decision came in the case of a transsexual woman who was denied the right to enter a same-sex civil partnership with her female partner.
The court said such requirements are incompatible with rights to sexual self-determination, physical integrity and privacy.
In response, Berlin's TransInterQueer called on the German government to immediately bring federal law into line with the ruling.
According to Transgender Europe, a majority of European nations have laws similar to Germany's, which the group said violates international human rights law.
