Vienna takes action to improve conditions for transsexuals

by Ivano Abbadessa - 2013.03.19

The city of Vienna has published a brochure, Trans*Identitäten, that deals with questions relating to the rights and correct treatment of transgender people. The aim is to promote integration of transsexuals and transvestites into the community. The pamphlet contains details of all aspects of the law that affect transgender people. Since 2010 in Austria, they have had the right to have their sexual identity officially recognised and recorded, based on a medical and psychological assessment. LGBT groups consider this to be discriminatory, seeing as being transgender is not a mental illness. In fact, the law has been changed and in future a psychological assessment won't be needed. During the process of modifying the law on equality, the city of Austria decided that presenting a psycho-therapeutic opinion will be sufficient for people wishing to change their gender. Furthermore, the process of changing one's name has been simplified. The city is to run courses for its employees on how to treat transgender people properly.