Portugal banned sex reassignment and the use of puberty blockers for minors

Portugal’s Parliament has decided to ban sex reassignment for those under the age of 18 and impose a moratorium on the use of medical drugs to block puberty. The new legislation repeals the 2018 regulations based on the principle of gender self-determination and brings back the mandatory requirement of medical proof for legal recognition of gender identity.

According to the European conservative portal, the relevant bill was approved on March 20, 2026 after a long public and political debate. The document was supported by the parliamentary majority and is aimed at strengthening control over procedures related to gender transition. The main emphasis in the law is on a complete ban on the use of hormone therapy and puberty blockers for all underage citizens of the country.

The adopted amendments have caused polar assessments in society. Supporters of the reform characterize it as an important step in protecting children and the rights of parents, while representatives of the LGBT community have strongly criticized it as a restriction of the rights of transgender and intersex people. This decision continues a series of tightening of legislation in this area, similar to those previously discussed in the United States in the context of the rights of parents who do not recognize the transition of their children.

We shall remind you that earlier we reported that the Supreme Court of Ukraine made a scandalous decision, recognizing for the first time the fact of an actual marriage relationship between two men – the first secretary of the Ukrainian Embassy in Israel, Zoryan Kis and social activist Timur Levchuk.