Swedish parliament votes yes to gender recognition law

The Swedish parliament voted yes to the controversial law which will make it easier for people in Sweden to change legal gender, with 234 in favour and 94 against.

The vote took place after a six-hour long debate, where the Sweden Democrats and Christian Democrats were accused of filibustering in order to delay the vote until a later date, which they denied.

Under the new rules, people will be able to change their legal gender starting at the age of 16, though those under 18 will need the approval of their parents, a doctor, and the National Board of Health and Welfare.

A diagnosis of “gender dysphoria” – where a person may experience distress as a result of a mismatch between their biological sex and the gender they identify as – will no longer be required.

Surgical procedures to transition would, like now, be allowed from the age of 18, but would no longer require the Board of Health and Welfare’s approval.

The removal of ovaries or testes would however only be allowed from the age of 23, unchanged from today.

Swedish vocabulary: könstillhörighetslagen – gender recognition law

Weather warning: don’t drive with summer tyres in central Sweden

Sweden’s public weather forecaster has issued a warning of “extra challenging road conditions” across a swathe of central Sweden between Gothenburg and Linköping, with heavy snow and rain expected.

“It’s worrying that a lot of people will have switched to summer tyres, because in their areas there will be winter road conditions so you should ideally not go out on the roads if you have changed to summer tyres,” said Linnea Rehn Wittskog,” a meteorologist at SMHI. 

The agency issued a yellow warning overnight for snow north of Örebro across lake Vättern and then down over Småland, with between 5-10cm expected. 

Swedish vocabulary: oroväckande – worrying 

Malmö to bring in reinforcements from Norway and Denmark ahead of Eurovision

The Swedish Eurovision host city Malmö on Wednesday promised heightened security for this year’s song contest, which faces protests over Israel’s participation during the war in Gaza.

“For the various events linked to Eurovision, security measures will be clearly visible,” the city’s security director, Per-Erik Ebbestahl, told a press conference.

Security checks will be stepped up, in particular for access to the various sites, where bags will mostly be prohibited, he said.

The police presence will also be strengthened, with reinforcements coming from Norway and Denmark, and officers will be more heavily armed than normal.

“There will be a lot of police in Malmö this time, with their usual armament, but also with heavier weapons” including submachine guns, said Petra Stenkula, chief of Malmö police.

“We are not used to seeing them in Sweden and Malmö.”

Swedish vocabulary: beväpnade polis – armed police

Fox ring belonging to Swedish gang member sells for record sum

A ring which reportedly belonged to a member of the Foxtrot criminal record has been sold at executive auction for a record sum of 66,500 kronor.

The ring, which is made of 18 karat gold and in the shape of a fox, was seized in a police raid. It had a starting price of 7,500 kronor – the metal alone is worth 9,000 kronor – but ended up costing the new owner almost ten times as much.

“It’s an unbelievable increase in bids, we’ve never seen this before,” the Enforcement Authority’s national anti-crime coordinator Johannes Paulson told TT newswire. “We had to take a close look at our security when we held the viewing.”

The buyer will not be allowed to pay in cash and the Enforcement Authority will carefully check the origin of the funds used to pay for the ring, Paulson said.

The funds raised from the sale will be used to pay for the former owner’s debts.

“It’s fines, the crime victim fund, the traffic insurance association and some debts to the state,” Paulson said, adding that he felt “uncomfortable” about selling the ring and giving the gang publicity, but that it fell under the remit of the agency.

Swedish vocabulary: Kronofogden – The Swedish Enforcement Authority