On Wednesday, The Gender Identity, Gender Expression and Sex Characteristics Act was passed in Malta, making them the second European nation to allow trans people to change their legal gender without any medical or state intervention.

The bill also outlaws surgery on intersex babies, making Malta the first country to do so. It also allows parents to forego entering an official gender for their children.

Malta has been consistently a Catholic majority but these new LGBT-friendly laws have been passed as part of a revamp of laws from the newly elected Labour Party.

Advocates have been hoping to outlaw restrictions on transgender people in Europe for years; most European countries force a transgender person to be diagnosed with a mental illness, undergo surgery, and/or get divorced if they are already married. All of this just so they can legally change their name and gender.

Malta’s law does not require a waiting period or specify a minimum age for legally changing one’s name or gender, but instead allows parents or legal guardians of a person under the age of 18 to apply in court on their behalf.

“I am very proud to be from a country that has from now on the most comprehensive and respectful laws when it comes to the rights of trans and intersex people,” says Maltese MEP Miriam Dalli. “No one should be declared mentally ill, undergo forced surgery or being forced to go through a divorce, in order to be recognised as who they truly are. I sincerely hope that the whole of Europe will follow Malta’s example and that such degrading practices will be issues of the past.”

Alecs Recher, co-chair of Transgender Europe said in a statement: “The Gender Identity, Gender Expression and Sex Characteristics Act sets a new benchmark for Europe. We are thrilled about the respectful, comprehensive and yet practical aspirations of this new Maltese act. It is firmly built on trans and intersex persons’ right to be recognized for who they are.

Fellow co-chair Arja Voipio added: “Lawmakers in the rest of Europe should take inspiration from this trail-blazer for swift action.”

Well done, Malta!