You don't need my gender
TL;DR and a request to Germans
If you just want the short gist, here's what this is about: Since the 1.11.2024, Germany has had a "Self-Identification" law, which allows any person above a certain age to easily request a name- and gender-change for themselves. For minors this requires parental consent, but for anyone above 18 this can be done with little to no further paperwork. This is good, IMO, as this helps people affirm themselves better and reduces complexity during already turbulent times.
However, our dear "friend" Dobrindt is planning to amend this, and to require these name-changes to be separately tracked in extra registers, to retain information of prior name and gender at state level. Here's a link to the Verordnungsentwurf. This is just a general breach of privacy, along other issues, and could be a first step to single out trans and potentially other queer people. So, if you are a German, and you have a moment, please read up on and sign the petition:
But why is this a problem?
Frankly, because it's none of the state's business. Transitioning and self-identification are intensely personal, and also medical issues, which, IMO, should be treated with the same depth of respect as other medical procedures. There are anti-discrimination and privacy laws at stake here, where a breach of such a state-level list could lead to serious harm, should it fall into the wrong hands - and to be frank, there sadly are a lot of wrong hands right now.
There's also simply no need for it? Other reasons for name-changes such as when you marry someone simply change your name, without retaining prior name info. Actually, if you look closely, for adoptions the existing data structures actually mandate that the old name is not recorded, for safety and privacy reasons. The precedent here would actually be the opposite of the suggested ruling - to help improve privacy around this.
So, in order to make my voice heard, and to at least attempt to get some answers, we tried to get in touch. Sent a message to the public contact form of the CDU/CSU (the party responsible for this law).
Blatantly obvious fearmongering
The external look of the proposition at least tries to appear reasonable. The above-linked website reasons the following:
The regulation ensures that persons who have changed their gender registration and first names can continue to be identified in various official registers and official information systems and that their identity can be traced.
... OK great. That already is not quite what we want here, but in the first moment it appears reasonable. Ignoring the fact that it would be more prudent to simply inform the relevant institutions and registers of the change if even necessary, and have them follow the same privacy requirements to remove and not hold on to information about the name change... Oh well.
But the response we got from the contact point ... That dug a little further into the real reasons, and it is scary how fast the mask falls. I have the full reply saved in German here, for people to read, but will be quoting translations of the most important points.
During the last legislative period, the then deputy chair of our parliamentary group, Andrea Lindholz, also spoke out about the issue, criticizing the fact that in the future, anyone could go to the registry office once a year and change their gender there. However, this data would not be passed on to security authorities. This could be used by someone to go into hiding. She emphasized, however: "I don't mean that transsexuals are abusing the law. What I mean is that people who intend to conceal their identity now have excellent opportunities here. In my view, this is a real scandal," Lindholz said. The CDU/CSU will urgently change this regulation "as a first priority" if it becomes part of the next federal government.
Please also read their press release: https://www.cducsu.de/presse/pressemitteilungen/das-selbstbestimmungsgesetz-ist-ein-echtes-sicherheitsrisiko
We had also submitted a motion (https://dserver.bundestag.de/btd/20/114/2011429.pdf) in which we called for the closure of security gaps in the planned Self-Determination Act: https://www.bundestag.de/presse/hib/kurzmeldungen-1003138
... What
I'm serious. What do you mean. "Anyone could go to the registry office, change their gender, and escape from security authorities"?? That's not how any of this works, seriously. First things first, you do not even get a new identity! You get a modification to an existing identity, complete with existing Tax Numbers and everything else!!
If it were as easy as me pretending to have a different name nad putting on a wig to escape the police, frankly that's their problem, not mine.
And even then, the very notion that this is an effective tool people would use is just... Ridiculous. Police could still go to friends, family, and work, investigate there. You'd need bank accounts set up, housing//a different location, etc. etc.. Your name is the least of your problems if you are trying to hide - if I want to run away, I'll just run away, name change or not.
And if we are talking about identity theft or similar crimes, that sort of thing is already present on the internet, and doesn't rely on these self-identification laws in the first place.
What this does do, is rephrase this self-identification law as a danger. It's as simple as that. They create the idea of a danger to then specifically drill down on. They're not even closing it up, though - that would be the most secure option, to simply remove the self-ID law. Instead they're amending it to collect data.
Don't let them get away with BS like this. Go out there, sign the petition if you can ((only if you are German!! Because otherwise it might cause problems with the validity and effectiveness of that petition!)), and maybe go and write one or two E-Mails to them. If you're in another country, check what you can do to locally engage.
Oh, and vote. Not for the CDU/CSU. There's plenty of less harmful options, such as Volt, who are very positively progressive about gender and equality. BTW, Volt's a Pan-European party, so if you're in in a EU country there's a chance you're on the list.