Call for ban on gender surgeries on minors

In Zurich, the Swiss People’s Party State Councillor Natalie Rickli is calling for a nationwide ban on gender reassignment surgeries for minors.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Rickli argued such procedures should only be allowed from age 18, citing the need to protect young people. 

National Councillor Nina Fehr Düsel plans to submit a motion to this effect in the autumn parliamentary session, aiming for broad support from other center-right parties. 

Critics of youth surgeries say puberty brings natural confusion and that irreversible procedures are an inadequate response. 

Currently, decisions lie with doctors, and only about 30 minors undergo surgery each year, mainly limited to breast removal, as genital surgery remains taboo. 

The debate mirrors similar legal restrictions recently adopted in Nordic countries.

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