San Marino moves to legalise gender changes and extend rights to same-sex parents

In a historic session, San Marino’s Council Grande e Generale approved two Arengo-submitted initiatives aimed at expanding LGBT rights. The first creates a formal procedure for transgender citizens to change their legal gender, with ministries of Interior, Justice and Health tasked to draft the necessary regulations by February 2027. The second addresses the recognition of birth and adoption records issued abroad for same-sex couples, clarifying issues such as citizenship, inheritance and parental duties.

While the proposals mark rapid progress since the 2022 election of Paolo Rondelli, the first openly LGBT head of state, a third request to codify joint parental responsibility was turned down. Advocacy organisations, including Associazione 121 and Italy’s Arcigay, praised the advances but said further work remains.