Sweden May Have Free Health Care. But What If You’re A Transvestite And You Want To Change Your Name?

Just ask Lennart Widahr, who secretly lived (through two marriages) as a transvestite. He applied to the Swedish National Tax Board (yes, the Skatteverket) to change his name to “Pia.” Oh no they didn’t! That liberal, welfare state? They shot him down. The only way he can change his name to a female name, per the court, is to have a sex change operation. Damn! So they’re encouraging a sex change operation over a name change? Good thing Sweden is not a world power. (Please, Swedes, don’t go nuts with the e-mails.)

You know that Pia (hey, I’m not bound by the Skatteverket, not that I’m encouraging Mr. Widahr to skirt the law) appealed the decision. And he lost.