Sex-change registrations soar in Portugal as parliament debates gender self-determination law
Portugal recorded 205 legal sex-change requests in March-April, up sharply from 71 in the same period previously, while requests from minors fell by almost 10%.
Data from the Instituto dos Registos e Notariado show that 205 individuals altered their legal sex in Portugal during March and April, a rise of 189% from the 71 recorded in the comparable earlier period. Conversely, the number of requests filed by minors dropped by nearly 10% in the year's first six months. These trends emerged while the Portuguese Parliament is debating proposals, largely driven by right-wing parties, to repeal the existing gender self-determination law.
Officials suggest the increase reflects a rush to update civil records before potential legislative changes take effect. The briefing also touched on other national issues, including rising public debt, record book sales among young readers, and significant losses from illegal online gambling.
