Portugal moves to ban legal gender change for minors

Portuguese Parliament. Photo: AFP

On March 20, 2026, the country’s Assembly approved changes to the 2018 gender self-determination law, European Conservative reports. The new provisions restore a requirement for medical certification in legal gender recognition, replacing the previous self-identification principle.

The decision followed extended parliamentary debate and received the support of a majority of lawmakers.

The legislation places particular emphasis on minors. It introduces a full ban on legal gender change, as well as on the use of puberty blockers and hormone therapy for individuals under 18.

At the same time, LGBT groups criticized the changes, warning they could restrict the rights of transgender and intersex people, while supporters of the reform describe it as a step aimed at protecting children and parental rights.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that in the United States, authorities were barred from removing children from parents who do not recognize their child’s “gender transition.”

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