Following on from the approval of same-sex marriages by the Socialist government in 2005 the Spanish government has recently passed legislation to allow transsexuals to officially change their name and gender without needing to undergo gender reassignment surgery first. The legislation that passed through the country’s parliament last week was fiercely opposed by the conservative Popular Party. Prior to the legislation, Spanish transsexuals could only change their name and gender after undergoing a sex change operation and subsequently winning the approval of law courts. The new legislation asks transsexuals to obtain and present an official medical diagnosis supporting their case.