Jan Fleischauer, journalist for Focus, got invited to a FDP Party function. An interesting topic came up, and Jan wrote a column that appeared today. The commentary is worth a read.
Subject? Well....the coalition government (SPD, Greens, and FDP) are discussing a draft about transgender stuff. The government wants to legislate a piece that give you the right to change your gender once per year (legally), and your name could change as well (once a year, legally).
The FDP general discussion? They aren't that hyped up. The Greens and SPD are.
Presently, you can already do a gender change....so I'd question why the necessity to bring this up....except for the name business.
German law generally says...you can change your name upon divorce, marriage or adoption.
About ten years ago....a migrant family tried to sue....to have their name changed to a German-sounding one. The German court said no on that occasion.....you stick with the old name.
Personally, I don't care, but this opens up a number of issues on the name change business.
For example, I guess....unless you regulated it....I might use Game of Thrones names for myself....saying I was Lord Byron---slayer of dragons---the unchained---light of wisdom---Lord of Starfall---master of whisperers---savior of the city.
I imagine the German bureaucrat would be a bit frustrated with my strategy and start shaking his head.
The idea that 300 Germans would immediately walk in and ask for the new name of 'Demon Rex' or 'Bitchy Woman'?
But Fleischauer brought up this other topic....they want to place a fine in place for the gender situation and the new name. If you walked in and addressed the person by their 'old' name.....a 2,500 Euro fine (paid to the government)....for the pain and suffering of the person.
Serious amount of money.
This being easily sold to the FDP folks? No.
The odds that this fine business would not be acceptable? I'm thinking the gender stuff and the name change would sell in some way.
The idea that a couple of comedians will flip to their status to woman or man....then spend a year working on some comical act? I would imagine more than a dozen will attempt to, and make the whole thing into a joke.
Naturally, you might ask....don't they have something better to do? Well....that's the thing....there's some serious stuff that needs to be done with natural gas, crime, and poverty in Germany. But those are fearful topics for both the Greens and SPD.
So you at least understand where this conversation is going, and what the 2,500 fine is about.
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