Misgendering and deadnaming: Will this soon become illegal in Germany?

That’s what some social media users and news outlets believe. The Cube fact-checked these claims.

Transcript

00:00 Will misgendering someone soon become illegal in Germany?

00:03 That`s what some social media users and news outlets believe.

00:06 Let`s get down to the truth behind this.

00:13 These past few days, numerous social media users and certain websites claim the German

00:18 government passed a law to make deadnaming and misgendering a criminal offense punishable

00:23 by a fine of up to 10,000 euros.

00:27 Misgendering is when you intentionally use the wrong gendered language, such as pronouns

00:31 when referring to someone else.

00:33 For example, referring to a woman as a he.

00:36 To deadname someone is to call or refer to them by the name they no longer use, usually

00:41 their birth name, from before their gender transition.

00:45 We took a closer look at this bill and here`s what we found.

00:48 The goal of this proposal is to make legal gender changes easier for trans, intersex

00:53 and non-binary people.

00:55 Under current rules, individuals must submit two psychological assessments to change their

01:00 gender legally.

01:01 People have gone through the process, have complained that it is costly and humiliating.

01:06 The proposal does mention a maximum fine of up to 10,000 euros, but not for deadnaming

01:11 or misgendering someone.

01:12 It`s actually for maliciously disclosing confidential information, such as, for example, disclosing

01:17 someone`s previously assigned gender against their will.

01:21 According to the website of the German Ministry for Family Affairs, a person`s previously

01:25 assigned gender should not be revealed or researched without the person`s consent.

01:30 But there are, of course, exceptions to this rule when it comes to, for example, law enforcement.

01:35 There`s no general ban on misgendering or deadnaming in the bill, says the government

01:39 website.

01:40 The ministry also insists that only intentional behavior is taken into account because acts

01:45 of negligence are not sanctioned.

01:47 However, intense bullying of a trans person is already punishable by law, since it`s considered

01:53 harassment.

01:54 The proposed Self-Determination Act is a flagship of Social Democratic Chancellor Olaf Scholz`s

01:59 coalition government.

02:00 And it has yet to be submitted to the country`s parliament for approval.

02:03 If passed, the law will allow Germany to join a list of a few countries in Europe that have

02:08 already embraced this legal principle of self-determination, including Belgium, Spain, Ireland, Luxembourg

02:15 and Denmark.

02:16 For more fact checks and investigations, check out our website, Euronews.com.

02:20 (upbeat music)