SUBSCRIBE »
Aug
12
Obligatory Castration for Transpeople?
A new proposal has been introduced in Sweden which would make castration obligatory for all people looking to undergo sex change operations. Although the proposal has been drafted for some time while Social Minister Göran Hägglund is on vacation, a final proposal will be presented in spring 2009 after he returns.
Most people who undergo sexual reassignment surgery typically take hormones and while those hormones do produce the side effect of natural sterilization, to prevent natural sterilization, people have had the option of not taking the hormones or stopping their intake of hormones either long term or for a short period of time leaving the window of opportunity for pregnancy open. This new proposal would not give people the option of ever becoming pregnant after their surgery or the option to stop hormones in order to become pregnant, as the testicles or ovaries would be removed in an operation upon someone’s decision to undergo sexual reassignment surgery.
The Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights as well as several other associations have criticized this proposal, saying that it is downright discriminatory and insulting and I have to say, I couldn’t agree more with them.
Forcing someone to be castrated upon making a personal decision to go through a sex change is basically saying “Okay, you’re a freak now; you are tainted, there is something obviously wrong with you and we cannot allow you the faintest possibility to have children because of the environment that they would grow up in and because it isn’t standard, that automatically means that you being a parent would undoubtedly harm a child.”
While this proposal does not outline the reasons as to why Sweden thinks it’s a fab idea to directly violate someone’s human right to procreation, I’m having a terribly hard time coming up with a legitimate explanation as to why a proposal like this would be drafted in the first place.
Related Posts
Support
Support independent voices. Support feminist news and media. Support Menstrual Poetry. Advertise here.Show your support by putting a Menstrual Poetry banner on your website!
Add New Comment
Viewing 5 Comments
Thanks. Your comment is awaiting approval by a moderator.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Add New Comment