Overview
- The Federal Interior Ministry’s draft requires adding fields for prior gender markers and former first names to the population register and sharing them with agencies like pension insurance and the Federal Central Tax Office.
- Trans and queer advocacy groups contend the proposal breaches the Self-Determination Law’s non-disclosure rule, exposes individuals to forced outing, and echoes historical persecution of gender-diverse people.
- Legal scholars such as Isabel Lischewski criticize the regulation as vague and unnecessary, arguing existing provisions already allow limited disclosure when identification is essential.
- The Interior Ministry insists the amendment is vital to maintain consistent identity verification across government registers and to enforce the Offenbarungsverbot by notifying authorities of prior entries.
- The draft regulation is under review and slated to take effect on November 1, 2026, prompting LGBTQ organizations to demand significant revisions before implementation.