A protester holds a banner reading in Spanish, 'If there is no trans law there will be trans fury,' during a Pride Day march in Madrid. (Photo: Agencies)

The Spanish government has approved a bill to remove medical requirements on teenagers wanting to legally change their gender.

Equalities Minister Irene Montero praised the "historic move."

"We send a strong message for the protection of LGBTI people [with the legislation]," she said after the cabinet approved the bill to move forward.

It will now face public scrutiny before a vote in parliament.

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The bill proposes to remove the need for Spaniards as young as 14 to have a medical diagnosis or hormone therapy before legally changing gender. It would make the process much simpler, with paperwork filled in at a registry office and a follow-up appointment three months later to confirm the decision.

It will not remove the need for parental approval for 14 to 16-year-olds to do so.

The bill also seeks to ban so-called "conversion therapy."

Although the bill goes further than some adopted across other European nations, it doesn't go far enough for some.

"It's not true self-determination if there are age limits," Saida Garcia of Euforia, which supports transgender rights, told Reuters.

A collective of 50 feminist groups said it opposed the bill as "regressive," and added it would weaken "the specific rights against gender-based oppression."