Germany

Germany has established numerous legal protections for LGBTIQ people. Same-sex couples have been able to marry and enjoy full adoption rights since 2017. Discrimination protections vary across Germany, but certain forms of discrimination, including in employment, are banned nationwide. A law prohibits conversion practices targeting children under 18. In 2021, Germany banned medically unnecessary surgeries on intersex children by law. While the measure is groundbreaking, advocates are concerned about specific language providing loopholes related to certain intersex conditions. Recognizing these concerns, the final draft law includes a provision for its review after five years, or in 2026.

In November 2024, the Self-Determination Act came into effect, allowing trans, intersex, and nonbinary people aged 18 and older to update their gender marker based on self-determination through a simple declaration at the registry office. Minors over the age of 14 can also change their gender marker with parental approval or legal recourse.

Within one year of the law’s implementation, data shows that over 22,000 people have changed their legal gender. 

Research published in 2025 shows a decline in acceptance of sexual and gender diversity in Germany. In May 2025, the Ministry of Interior released its annual report on politically motivated crimes, underscoring an increase in the recorded number of crimes motivated by victims’ perceived sexual orientation and/or gender identity and expression. The far-right party AfD, which became the second strongest party in Parliament following elections in February 2025, publicly opposes family diversity and trans people’s human rights.