Insights
Portugal: Reject Bills That Undermine Trans and Intersex People’s Rights
Region(s)
TOPIC(s)
Type
Commentary
Author(s)
Publish Date
March 19, 2026
Share
Outright International stands in full solidarity with trans and intersex people in Portugal as they face a coordinated legislative attack on their dignity, bodily autonomy, and fundamental human rights.
On March 19, the Portuguese Parliament is scheduled to hold a plenary debate on three draft laws tabled by CHEGA (CH), the Social Democratic Party (PSD), and CDS-PP that would dismantle key protections for trans and intersex people. These bills seek to roll back self-determined legal gender recognition, reintroduce pathologizing medical diagnoses, undermine existing protections in education and public life, and reopen the door to medically unnecessary, harmful interventions on intersex children.
If adopted, these initiatives would:
- Revoke self-determined legal gender recognition and require a medical diagnosis of “gender identity disorder” for trans people, replacing a simple administrative procedure with a pathologizing, outdated model.
- Ban legal recognition of name and gender identity for young people aged 16–18, and remove existing protections for children under 16, nonbinary people, and non‑citizens whose social name and gender currently enjoy limited recognition even without changes to legal documents.
- Repeal affirmative, non‑discriminatory measures in schools, including recognition of chosen names and LGBTI+ awareness initiatives, directly endangering the safety and well‑being of trans children and adolescents.
- Prohibit medically sound procedures such as puberty blockers for trans adolescents, contrary to established medical practice grounded in case‑by‑case assessment, best interests of the child, and informed consent.
- Authorize medically unnecessary and irreversible interventions on intersex children, in direct contradiction to international medical and human rights standards and to Portugal’s current prohibition of such practices.
These bills are not about “protecting families” or “legal certainty”; they are about stripping young people of bodily autonomy and self-determination, and weaponizing trans and intersex bodies for ideological gain. They deepen social division, undermine democratic values, distract from real issues affecting people in Portugal, and contradict the obligation of all European Union Member States to ensure recognition of gender identity and respect for bodily integrity for everyone.
Outright International joins Portuguese trans, intersex, and LGBTIQ organizations and the broader coalition of more than 70 associations and collectives that have united to oppose these bills and defend the right of all people in Portugal to live safely, authentically, and free from discrimination and violence. We recognize and commend the leadership of rede ex aequo, ILGA Portugal, AMPLOS, Casa Qui, Opus Diversidades, and all the organizations that have mobilized quickly to build a common strategy, produce a joint statement, and call for public protest in front of the Assembly of the Republic on 19 March and in other cities on March 20. Their work is part of a broader global struggle against anti‑gender backlash that increasingly targets both trans and intersex communities.
The rights of trans and intersex people are human rights. Portugal has been an important reference point for progressive legal recognition and protection. Reversing course now would endanger lives in Portugal and send a dangerous signal to other countries in Europe and beyond.We urge Portuguese lawmakers to resist alarmist rhetoric, defend human rights; and prevent the rollback of hard‑won protections.
Call to Action
Outright International urges decisive action at national, European, and international levels in the narrow window before the parliamentary debate on March 19 and the vote on March 20, and throughout the legislative process that may follow.
1. To Portuguese authorities and political parties
- Members of Parliament should reject Draft Bills No. 391/XVII/1 (CH), 486/XVII/1 (PSD), and 479/XVII/1 (CDS‑PP) in the general vote, and at every subsequent stage of the legislative process.
- PSD leadership should respect human rights standards, listen to professional bodies such as the Portuguese Society of Clinical Sexology and the Portuguese Psychologists’ Association, and ensure that its members vote against these proposals rather than supporting or abstaining on bills that lack a scientific basis and violate fundamental rights.
- IL and JPP should commit to voting against all three bills, in line with Portugal’s constitutional and international human rights obligations and the clear evidence provided by national experts and civil society.
- The President of the Republic should use all constitutional powers, including veto, to prevent any law that re‑pathologizes trans people, authorizes non‑consensual interventions on intersex children, or undermines protections for trans and intersex people in education, healthcare, and public life.
2. To the European Union and the Council of Europe institutions
- Members of the European Parliament and relevant political groups should urgently raise this situation with their Portuguese counterparts in PSD, IL, and other parties, urging them to reject any rollback of trans and intersex people's rights.
- EU institutions and Council of Europe bodies should publicly reaffirm that pathologization of trans identities and medically unnecessary interventions on intersex children are incompatible with European human rights standards and closely monitor developments in Portugal as part of broader trends across the region.
3. To international human rights mechanisms and governments
- UN human rights mandate holders and mechanisms should request information from Portugal and express concern about the compatibility of these bills with obligations under international human rights law, including rights to non‑discrimination, bodily integrity, health, and protection from cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.
- Supportive governments should raise these concerns in bilateral and multilateral dialogues with Portugal and consider diplomatic outreach to key parliamentary actors and the presidency to urge rejection of these bills.
4. To civil society, professional bodies, and individuals
- Civil society organizations and professional associations worldwide are encouraged to endorse the Portuguese joint statement, issue their own statements, and directly contact Portuguese authorities to urge them to vote against all three bills.
- Individuals and organizations in Portugal should participate in the public consultation on the CHEGA bill, join the mobilizations outside the Assembly of the Republic on March 19 and in other cities on March 20, and amplify information and calls to action through media and social networks.
Outright International will continue to work alongside partners in Portugal and across Europe to ensure that trans and intersex people’s rights are not treated as bargaining chips in political debates but are fully recognized as non‑negotiable human rights.
Take Action
When you support our research, you support a growing global movement and celebrate LGBTIQ lives everywhere.
Donate Now