Concerns raised by queer organizations over proposed gender classification regulations
In a recent development, queer associations in Germany have expressed concerns about the Federal Ministry of the Interior's plans to share information about changes in gender and first name entries in the civil registry with other authorities. These concerns revolve around potential privacy violations, increased surveillance, and discrimination against transgender and non-binary individuals.
The ministry justifies these plans as necessary for administrative clarity and legal consistency, arguing that such notifications are part of regular bureaucratic processes to update official records across relevant institutions. However, the ministry's defense lacks specific statements or detailed reasoning.
The origin of this project can be traced back to the Self-Determination Act, which simplifies the process of changing gender entry and first name at the registry office. The act, in turn, has led to this project aimed at ensuring traceability of identity.
Alfonso Pantisano, the queer commissioner of the Berlin Senate, views this project as an "attack on our freedom". He argues that systematically recording people because they have liberated themselves turns self-determination into a risk index. The Queer Diversity Association shares a similar opinion, stating that the collection, transmission, and disclosure of sensitive information about previous gender entries and first names should only happen under strict conditions.
The ministry's plans involve requiring people who change their gender entry and first name in the civil registry to fill out three new data sheets about their previous gender entry. The data shared with other authorities would enable them to enforce the disclosure ban with the change, which prevents the gender entry and previous first name from being disclosed or researched without consent (except in cases of law enforcement or security authorities).
Pantisano also suggests that the project could lead to state mistrust and, potentially, state persecution. The German Society for Trans and Inter Identity (dgti) sees this as a massive invasion of privacy and a contradiction to the Self-Determination Act.
This concern aligns with broader political contexts where conservative governments have pushed policies perceived as restrictive or unsupportive towards trans rights, such as Germany’s 2025 political climate where far-right and conservative parties challenge existing trans rights protections.
In response to these concerns, the Interior Ministry has yet to provide a detailed response or clarification. The queer community continues to advocate for the protection of transgender and non-binary individuals' privacy and rights in this matter.
The ministry's plan to share information about changes in gender and first name entries in the civil registry with other authorities, despite the justification for administrative clarity, has led to concerns about potential privacy violations within the health-and-wellness and mental-health communities, particularly for transgender and non-binary individuals. Alfonso Pantisano, the queer commissioner of the Berlin Senate, views the project as an attack on freedom and self-determination, likening it to a risk index due to systematic recording of such changes.
