Japan’s top court says trans surgery requirement is unconstitutional

A participate raises a rainbow flag during the pride parade in Tokyo, 23 Apr.shabby graphics

The Supreme Court of Japan has ruled that requiring citizens to undergo sterilization before they can formally shift their genders is illegal.

According to a 2004 law, just those without the ability to reproduce may change their gender.

The decision was made on Wednesday after a trans woman petitioned the law.

It has been dubbed” harsh and obsolete” by Human Rights Watch.

One of the 18 nations that requires sterilization operation is Japan, which is also opposed by the World Health Organization.

The woman’s attorney had claimed that years of hormone therapy had previously reduced her biological capacity, adding that surgery involved bodily pain and the possibility of side effects.

The Supreme Court decision was made just days after a local community court ruled in the man’s favor who asked to include his female changed officially without having surgery. However, some organizations, such as Save Women’s Space, contend that allowing transgender people to change their registered gender without surgery may make women feel uneasy and cause lawful confusion.

The organizations claimed to have gathered about 15,000 signatures for a petition requesting that the law be deemed legal.

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