Portugal’s president has blocked a bill which would have made it easier for teenagers to change their gender identity on official documents. The bill, passed on April 13, would have allowed citizens as young as 16 to change their gender identity without needing a medical report, as long as they had parental consent.

President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa sent the bill back to parliament with the request lawmakers add a mandatory medical report for minors. He said he understood the reasons for the bill but added it “seems reasonable” for there to be a “medical evaluation early on.”

The announcement is not fatal to the bill however as Portugal’s constitution means lawmakers can either include the proposed change or it needs an absolute majority to pass as it is. Read more via Pink News

See the president's full statement here

Portugal can still be legislative innovators on LGBTI equality – don’t stop now!

ILGA-Europe, Transgender Europe-TGEU and OII Europe echo the call of the trans community in Portugal by reminding the President that equality for a few is not true equality. Young people must be able to access a legal gender recognition procedure that is fair and trusts them to know who they are.

The law received the support of a parliamentary majority, after MPs heard directly from trans people, their parents and families, LGBTI activists and experts.

As our member organisation ILGA Portugal commented last night: "We believe that the Portuguese Parliament has the power to overcome this veto and... it is necessary to take this path to the full guarantee of Human Rights for all trans persons".