2023-05-102022/23:KU26 · p.10KUConstitution
Legal gender
Inquiry into a third legal gender
What's at stake: The issue matters for people who, according to the reservation, do not identify as either male or female and who currently lack a legal gender category matching their identity, including in population registration and identity documents.
Case texts and AI reasoning are AI-translated from the Swedish originals; the Swedish text is authoritative.
What the vote decides
The vote concerns whether an inquiry should be set up to examine the possibility of introducing a third legal gender in Sweden, or whether the committee should take no such initiative since the matter has already been considered before.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee has previously considered identical motions on a third legal gender and is not prepared to take any initiative on the motions, which it rejects.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 8 (V, C, MP)
The reservation stresses that there are people today who identify as neither man nor woman, and that this identity question deserves to be taken very seriously. It wants an inquiry set up to examine the possibility of introducing a third legal gender without undermining the ability to carry out statistical analysis from a gender perspective — something currently enabled by a digit in the personal identity number. It also backs proposals to separate the administrative process for changing the gender recorded in the population register from the medical process and to lower the age limit, and holds that everyone has the right to have their gender identity recognized and the correct gender marker on their identity documents.
Summarised from the committee report. Party labels in the summary come from the report, not from the vote.
What do the votes mean here?
Yes The committee proposal: rejecting the motions (keeping things as they are).
No Backing the counter-proposal: reservation 8 by V, C, MP.
Abstain The party marks a position of its own that is not one of the two final alternatives.
What each plan points to — and how the party voted
For each party: the vote its own election manifesto and party programme point to in this case, next to how the party actually voted. A plan can only point to Yes or No; a party can also abstain.
| Plan | Vote | Confidence | Evidence | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V | No | No 0/21/0/3 | follows the plan | confidence: high | not addressed |
| S | No | Yes 94/0/0/13 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| MP | No | No 0/14/0/4 | follows the plan | confidence: high | explicit |
| C | No | No 0/21/0/3 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| L | No | Yes 14/0/0/2 | departs from the plan | confidence: high | not addressed |
| KD | Yes | Yes 15/0/0/4 | follows the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
| M | Yes | Yes 60/0/0/8 | follows the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
| SD | Yes | Yes 63/0/0/9 | follows the plan | confidence: high | not addressed |
Committee proposal
The Riksdag rejects the motions 2022/23:379 by Anna Wallentheim (S) and 2022/23:881 by Martina Johansson et al. (C) amendment 59.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motionerna 2022/23:379 av Anna Wallentheim (S) och 2022/23:881 av Martina Johansson m.fl. (C) yrkande 59.
Riksdag decision: The Riksdag rejected approximately 40 proposals on human freedoms and rights. The motions concern, among other things, constitutionally protected abortion rights, protection of property rights, legal gender and preventive measures against radicalization. The proposals were submitted during the regular motion period 2022. The Riksdag rejects the motions and refers, among other things, to the government having announced that inquiries will be appointed.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants an inquiry into the possibility of constitutionally protecting the right to abortion. (V, C, MP) — Reservation 8
Plan vs actual vote
Every party, in chamber order: what its own plan pointed to, how it voted, and the reasoning behind both. Highlighted rows are where the two differ — but a vote that follows the plan is a result too, so the reasoning is there for every party.
The party programme explicitly criticizes the notion that there are and must always be two genders and particularly highlights transgender people with a gender identity other than what society expects.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme explicitly criticizes the notion that there are and must always be two genders and particularly highlights transgender people with a gender identity other than what society expects. No discrimination or differential treatment of transgender people can be accepted, and heteronormativity is described as part of the gender power structure. An investigation into a third legal gender and an administrative process separate from the medical one is a direct application of these commitments.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet kritiserar uttryckligen uppfattningen att det finns och alltid måste finnas två kön och pekar särskilt ut transpersoner med annan könsidentitet än den samhället förväntar sig. Ingen diskriminering eller särbehandling av transpersoner kan accepteras, och heteronormen beskrivs som en del av könsmaktsordningen. En utredning om ett tredje juridiskt kön och en administrativ process skild från den medicinska är en direkt tillämpning av dessa åtaganden.
- two-gender norm questioneddecisive»uppfattningen att det finns och alltid måste finnas två kön« (party programme ↗)“the notion that there are and must always be two genders”
- no differential treatment of transgender people»Ingen diskriminering eller särbehandling av homosexuella, bisexuella, transpersoner och queer-personer« (party programme ↗)“No discrimination or differential treatment of homosexual, bisexual, transgender and queer people”
- transgender people's vulnerability»Särskilt för transpersoner, både de som avviker från« (party programme ↗)“Particularly for transgender people, both those who deviate from”
- abolish heteronormativity»Heteronormen är en viktig del i könsmaktsordningen.« (party programme ↗)“Heteronormativity is an important part of the gender power structure.”
The party programme explicitly counts gender identity among the power structures that limit human freedom and requires an active struggle against oppressive norms and preconceptions about what is normal.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme explicitly counts gender identity among the power structures that limit human freedom and requires an active struggle against oppressive norms and preconceptions about what is normal. The starting point is that humans shall be free to control their own lives. To investigate a third legal gender and to recognise people's gender identity in identity documents follow from these commitments, but the plan does not take a position on the technical form of population registration.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet räknar uttryckligen könsidentitet bland de maktstrukturer som begränsar människors frihet och kräver en medveten kamp mot förtryckande normer och föreställningar om vad som är normalt. Utgångspunkten är att människan ska vara fri att råda över sitt eget liv. Att utreda ett tredje juridiskt kön och att erkänna människors könsidentitet i id-handlingar följer av dessa åtaganden, men planen tar inte ställning till folkbokföringens tekniska utformning.
- struggle against oppressive normsdecisive»Det kräver en medveten kamp också mot andra maktstrukturer och förtryckande normer.« (party programme ↗)“It requires an active struggle also against other power structures and oppressive norms.”
- gender identity as power structure»Klass, kön, etnicitet samt könsidentitet och sexuell läggning är några av de« (party programme ↗)“Class, gender, ethnicity and gender identity and sexual orientation are some of the”
- excluding norms»föreställningar om vem eller vilka egenskaper som är normala och vilka som inte är det.« (party programme ↗)“preconceptions about who or which properties are normal and which are not.”
- freedom to shape one's life»Människan ska vara fri att utvecklas som individ, råda över sitt eget liv, forma sin tillvaro« (party programme ↗)“Humans shall be free to develop as individuals, control their own lives, shape their existence”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The election manifesto explicitly promises a new gender identity law and a third legal gender, and the party programme describes a third legal gender as a way for transgender people to avoid being forced into a two-gender model.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto explicitly promises a new gender identity law and a third legal gender, and the party programme describes a third legal gender as a way for transgender people to avoid being forced into a two-gender model. The counter-proposal's requirement for an investigation into the conditions for a third legal gender and to separate the administrative from the medical process is thus the plan's own line. The right to define oneself is a guiding principle in the programme.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet lovar uttryckligen en ny könstillhörighetslag och ett tredje juridiskt kön, och partiprogrammet beskriver ett tredje juridiskt kön som ett sätt för transpersoner att slippa pressas in i en tvåkönsmodell. Motförslagets krav på en utredning om förutsättningarna för ett tredje juridiskt kön och på att skilja den administrativa från den medicinska processen är därmed planens egen linje. Rätten att definiera sig själv är en bärande princip i programmet.
- introduce third legal genderdecisive»stärka transpersoners rättigheter genom en ny könstillhörighetslag, och införa ett tredje juridiskt kön.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“strengthen transgender people's rights through a new gender identity law, and introduce a third legal gender.”
- away from the two-gender model»tredje juridiskt kön skulle kunna vara ett sätt för transpersoner att slippa behöva pressas in i en tvåkönsmodell.« (party programme ↗)“a third legal gender could be a way for transgender people to avoid having to be forced into a two-gender model.”
- right to define oneself»Först när alla människor erkänns för vilka de är, får rätt att definiera sig själva och har tillgång till lika rättigheter kan vi uppnå välfärd för alla.« (party programme ↗)“Only when all people are recognised for who they are, have the right to define themselves and have access to equal rights can we achieve welfare for all.”
- right to own identity»Varje människa har rätt att vara och växa till den individ som hen vill vara.« (party programme ↗)“Every human being has the right to be and grow into the individual that they want to be.”
The plan's fundamental commitment is that neither the state nor society shall define the individual and that everyone has the right to shape their own life and their own identity.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan's fundamental commitment is that neither the state nor society shall define the individual and that everyone has the right to shape their own life and their own identity. The plan explicitly combats structures that discriminate on the basis of gender identity and gender expression. Investigating a third legal gender and separating the administrative process from the medical follows from this.
Original (Swedish)
Planens bärande åtagande är att varken staten eller samhället ska definiera individen och att var och en har rätt att forma sitt eget liv och sin egen identitet. Planen bekämpar uttryckligen strukturer som diskriminerar utifrån könsidentitet och könsuttryck. Att utreda ett tredje juridiskt kön och skilja den administrativa processen från den medicinska följer av detta.
- the state does not define the individualdecisive»Varken staten eller samhället ska definiera dig eller stå i vägen för din utveckling eller dina drömmar.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Neither the state nor society shall define you or stand in the way of your development or your dreams.”
- right to own identity»Varje individ har rätt att skapa sin egen identitet.« (party programme ↗)“Every individual has the right to create their own identity.”
- right to shape one's life»Centerpartiet kommer alltid försvara din rätt att forma ditt eget liv.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Centerpartiet will always defend your right to shape your own life.”
- against discrimination of gender identity»Vi bekämpar alla strukturer, formella och informella, som förtrycker eller diskriminerar människor.« (party programme ↗)“We combat all structures, formal and informal, that oppress or discriminate against people.”
The election manifesto makes LGBTQ reforms a question of freedom and sets the goal that Sweden shall be the world's best country to live in as an LGBTQ person, and the party programme establishes that no laws may discriminate anyone with respect to gender identity or gender expression.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto makes LGBTQ reforms a question of freedom and sets the goal that Sweden shall be the world's best country to live in as an LGBTQ person, and the party programme establishes that no laws may discriminate anyone with respect to gender identity or gender expression. An inquiry about a third legal gender and an administrative process separate from the medical follows from these commitments. That the counter-proposal values gender-divided statistics means that the plan's gender equality requirements do not speak against it.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet gör hbtqi-reformer till en frihetsfråga och sätter målet att Sverige ska vara världens bästa land att leva i som hbtqi-person, och partiprogrammet slår fast att inga lagar får missgynna någon med avseende på könsidentitet eller könsuttryck. En utredning om tredje juridiskt kön och en administrativ process skild från den medicinska följer av dessa åtaganden. Att motförslaget värnar könsuppdelad statistik gör att planens jämställdhetskrav inte talar emot.
- LGBTQ reforms are freedomdecisive»Hbtqi-reformer handlar om frihet. Sverige ska vara världens bästa land att leva i som hbtqi-person.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“LGBTQ reforms are a question of freedom. Sweden shall be the world's best country to live in as an LGBTQ person.”
- no discriminating laws»Alla ska ha samma rätt till respekt för sitt privat- och familjeliv. Inga lagar får missgynna personer med« (party programme ↗)“Everyone has the same right to respect for their private and family life. No laws may discriminate persons with”
- open social climate»Liberaler verkar för ett öppet samhällsklimat där ingen känner sig tvungen att dölja sin sexuella läggning, sin« (party programme ↗)“Liberals work for an open social climate where no one feels forced to hide their sexual orientation, their”
- strengthened LGBTQ rights»Hbtqi-kompetensen i vård, skola och omsorg ska stärkas och ett lagskydd mot omvändelseterapi ska införas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“LGBTQ competence in healthcare, schools and care shall be strengthened and legal protection against conversion therapy shall be introduced.”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan does not address the question of a third legal gender.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan does not address the question of a third legal gender. The closest underlying principle is that all equality policy is built on the categories women and men and that proposals and decisions should be analysed based on consequences for women and men, which argues against introducing a third legal gender category. At the same time, the plan is based on equal human dignity regardless of sexual identity, which means the conclusion is uncertain.
Original (Swedish)
Planen behandlar inte frågan om ett tredje juridiskt kön. Den närmast liggande principen är att hela jämställdhetspolitiken är byggd på kategorierna kvinnor och män och att förslag och beslut ska analyseras utifrån konsekvenser för kvinnor och män, vilket talar mot att införa en tredje juridisk könskategori. Samtidigt vilar planen på lika människovärde oavsett sexuell identitet, varför slutsatsen är osäker.
- equality between women and mendecisive»Grunden för jämställdhet mellan kvinnor och män är« (party programme ↗)“The foundation for equality between women and men is”
- gender-binary equality norm»En fungerande demokrati förutsätter jämställdhet mellan kvinnor och män.« (party programme ↗)“A functioning democracy requires equality between women and men.”
- gender-based impact analysis»Jämställdhetsperspektivet ska genomsyra alla politikområden.« (party programme ↗)“The equality perspective shall permeate all policy areas.”
- equal worth regardless of sexual identity»kön, ålder, social position, funktionsvariationer, sexuell identitet, etnisk eller religiös tillhörighet.« (party programme ↗)“gender, age, social position, functional variations, sexual identity, ethnic or religious affiliation.”
The plan's commitments in this area are enumerated and stop at gender-neutral family law and protection for LGBTQ persons; a third legal gender is not included.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan's commitments in this area are enumerated and stop at gender-neutral family law and protection for LGBTQ persons; a third legal gender is not included. The party programme's ideas document opposes new forms of collectivism and identity politics governing how people are legally categorized, and holds to the principle that rights belong to individuals. Derived from this, an inquiry into a new legal gender is rejected, but the basis is weak.
Original (Swedish)
Planens åtaganden på området är uppräknade och stannar vid könsneutral familjelagstiftning och skydd för hbtq-personer; ett tredje juridiskt kön finns inte med. Idéprogrammet vänder sig mot att nya former av kollektivism och identitetspolitik ska styra hur människor kategoriseras rättsligt, och håller fast vid att rättigheter tillhör individen. Härlett ur detta avvisas en utredning om ett nytt juridiskt kön, men underlaget är svagt.
- gender neutrality, not new categoriesdecisive»Se till att all familjelagstiftning är könsneutral« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Ensure that all family law is gender-neutral”
- rejected identity politics»Nya former av kollektivism får samtidigt allt större utrymme i« (party programme ↗)“New forms of collectivism are gaining increasing scope in”
- rights belong to the individual»Fri- och rättigheter tillhör individer« (party programme ↗)“Freedoms and rights belong to individuals”
The plan stands guard over biological sex and criticizes that people's sex is questioned, and wants to end political experiments on children and young people.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan stands guard over biological sex and criticizes that people's sex is questioned, and wants to end political experiments on children and young people. Investigating a third legal sex and lowering the age limit for changed sex designation is precisely such a gender-theoretical reform the plan distances itself from. The plan instead wants to investigate society's handling of children with gender dysphoria and its consequences.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår vakt om det biologiska könet och kritiserar att människans kön ifrågasätts, samt vill avsluta de politiska experimenten på barn och unga. Att utreda ett tredje juridiskt kön och sänka åldersgränsen för ändrad könsbeteckning är just en sådan könsteoretisk reform planen tar avstånd från. Planen vill i stället utreda samhällets hantering av barn med könsdysfori och dess konsekvenser.
- biological sex as starting pointdecisive»Människans biologiska kön ifrågasätts och barns naturliga utveckling och intressen har problematiserats.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“People's biological sex is questioned and children's natural development and interests have been problematized.”
- against gender theories»Vi tror på vetenskap och inser att förvirrande genusteorier får förödande konsekvenser när de omsätts i praktiken.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We believe in science and realize that confusing gender theories have devastating consequences when implemented in practice.”
- against experiments with young people»Avsluta de politiska experimenten på Sveriges barn och unga« (2022 manifesto ↗)“End the political experiments on Sweden's children and young people”
- investigate gender dysphoria care»Samhällets hantering av barn med könsdysfori och dess långsiktiga konsekvenser ska utredas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Society's handling of children with gender dysphoria and its long-term consequences should be investigated.”
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Sources and documents
- The committee report on riksdagen.se (2022/23:KU26)
- Committee report full text (HA01KU26)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2022/23:1001 — Grundlag av Matheus Enholm m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:1023 — En förskola i världsklass av Patrick Reslow m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:1095 — Flickors frihet i Sverige av Alexandra Anstrell m.fl. (M)
- Motion 2022/23:1131 — Slöjförbud i den svenska för- och grundskolan av Richard Jomshof (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:1234 — En hälso- och sjukvård för jämlikhet och jämställdhet i hela landet av Nooshi Dadgostar m.fl. (V)
- Motion 2022/23:1533 — Nationellt förbud mot böneutrop från religiösa byggnader av Hans Eklind (KD)
- Motion 2022/23:1673 — Jämställdhet för hållbar utveckling av Annie Lööf m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2022/23:1695 — Slöjor på flickor av Robert Hannah och Juno Blom (båda L)
- Motion 2022/23:181 — Stärk demokratin och de mänskliga rättigheterna av Märta Stenevi m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2022/23:1811 — Bekämpning av terrorism av Christian Carlsson (KD)
- Motion 2022/23:1813 — Stopp för offentliga böneutrop av Christian Carlsson (KD)
- Motion 2022/23:1881 — Konstitutionella frågor av Malin Björk m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2022/23:1882 — En starkare liberal demokrati av Malin Björk m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2022/23:2061 — Utgiftsområde 9 Hälsovård, sjukvård och social omsorg av Fredrik Lundh Sammeli m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2022/23:2153 — Religionsfrihet på riktigt av Markus Wiechel m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:2166 — Utgiftsområde 1 Rikets styrelse av Ida Karkiainen m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2022/23:2271 — Vårda och bevara Sveriges kristna kulturarv av Julia Kronlid m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:2277 — Jämställdhetspolitik av Märta Stenevi m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2022/23:379 — Ett tredje juridiskt kön av Anna Wallentheim (S)
- Motion 2022/23:514 — Utvisning vid grovt blåljussabotage av Markus Wiechel och Alexander Christiansson (båda SD)
Source: The Swedish Parliament