A new law making it easier for individuals to change their legally registered gender will come into force in Sweden on July 1, but the right-wing Sweden Democrats have strongly condemned the legislation and promised to repeal it if they are given the opportunity after the next general election.
The Gender Affiliation Act, passed by the Swedish parliament in April 2024, allows individuals as young as 16 to change their legal gender, provided they have the consent of a guardian. It also removes the requirement for a formal diagnosis of gender dysphoria and eliminates the need for permission from the National Board of Health and Welfare to undergo gender-affirming surgery.
The law was supported by a broad coalition of parties, including the Social Democrats, Moderates, Liberals, Greens, Center Party, and Left Party. Only the Sweden Democrats and the Christian Democrats opposed it, with 234 members voting in favor, 94 against, and 21 absent.
In a joint opinion piece published in Svenska Dagbladet, Sweden Democrats MPs Jessica Stegrud, Carita Boulwén, and Leonid Yurkovskiy criticized the law as ideologically motivated and dangerous to young people. They argued that it was designed to make it easier for minors to transition their gender without adequate medical safeguards and claimed that many young people who express gender dysphoria are, in fact, struggling with other underlying psychiatric conditions. According to the Swedish party, a significant number of gender identity issues resolve after puberty, and they warned that current medical practices risk pushing vulnerable teenagers into life-altering decisions that they may later regret.
The party expressed particular concern about hormone treatments and surgeries being offered to minors. They alleged that healthcare providers in Sweden have focused too narrowly on affirming young people’s self-identified gender without thoroughly exploring other mental health concerns. They described cases in which teenagers underwent irreversible procedures, such as mastectomies, only to later realize that transitioning did not solve their problems. In such cases, the party said, there is often no support available for those who detransition.
The Sweden Democrats laid out three specific proposals in response. First, they intend to repeal the Gender Affiliation Act during the next parliamentary term. They acknowledged that the law was not part of the Tidö Agreement between the governing parties and that they were unable to block its passage, but said their position on the issue remains unchanged.
Second, they want to abolish what they describe as gender education in preschools. They criticized practices in which children are encouraged to play with different toys or wear different clothing as part of so-called “counter-control” strategies aimed at challenging gender roles. The party argued that such approaches may confuse young children and that adults in positions of authority should not influence how children express themselves. They insisted that gender discussions have no place in early childhood education.
Finally, they called for compensation for individuals who underwent medical gender transitions at a young age and later regretted it. They said the state has a responsibility to those who have been harmed by medical decisions made on the advice of doctors and psychiatrists. The party also demanded an independent review of all gender-affirming care that has been provided in Sweden, to determine whether young people were properly assessed and informed before receiving irreversible treatments.
Public opinion appears to be on the party’s side. A poll conducted by Verian around the time of the parliamentary vote found that 59 percent of Swedes viewed the legislation as negative, while 22 percent supported it, and the rest were undecided.
Despite that, a strong majority of lawmakers backed the bill, arguing that it modernizes Sweden’s legal framework and simplifies the process for individuals who want to live in alignment with their gender identity.
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