Long waiting lists for legal gender change

In Denmark, there has been a huge increase in applications for legal gender marker changes in recent years.

Only a few years ago, Danish authorities received ten such applications per year. Today, this figure has topped 200.

This has resulted in waiting lists of up to a year, according to Danish national broadcaster DR.

Once an application has been approved, applicants must wait another two years before a sex change operation can take place.

Danish left-wing parties are calling for extra funding to shorten these waiting lists, while right-wing party DF labels this surge in legal gender change applications as a ‘fad’.

The Faroese Parliament will be debating this issue today.

A formal gender recognition certificate enables a person to receive a civil registration number and choose a name corresponding to their identified gender.

It also entitles the holder to receive a new passport and a new driver's licence.

Legal gender marker change was approved in Denmark in 2014. Since then, 918 people have applied for legal gender change, of which 692 were approved.

See also: MP: allow people to legally change gender

Translated by prosa.fo