Reform needed on transgender laws: activists

‘NUMBER OF PROBLEMS’: An activist said the issue regarding identification cards causes difficulties when applying for jobs and with housing contracts

By Lii Wen / Staff reporter





Transgender rights activists yesterday blasted an administrative order issued in 2008, which requires the surgical removal of reproductive organs before transgender people can change their registered gender on their identification cards.

Long-time political activist Shih Ming-te (施明德) showed up at the news conference to express his support for transgender advocacy groups, urging the abolition of the “inhumane” administrative order.

A person’s gender should be determined by self-identification instead of proof of surgery, the activists said, adding that strict regulations have led many transgender people to undergo cheap, unsafe surgeries with lasting consequences and injuries.

Shih Ming-te Cultural Foundation chairman Shih Ming-te, center, and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Ting Shou-chung, left, call for better rights for transgender people at a news conference in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Chu Pei-hsiung, Taipei Times

“Whether or not we had surgery, we are still transgender women,” said Wu Ji-yi (吳芷儀), a transgender activist who was born physically male, but identifies as a transgender woman.

“The largest problem we face is that our gender is different from the one on our identification card,” Wu said. “This leads to a number of problems, such as applying for dormitories or job opportunities.”

Gender rights activist Yeh Jo-ying (葉若瑛), who is also a transgender woman, said she has refused to undergo surgery in protest against the regulations. As a result, she is still officially registered as male.

After the news conference, Shih led the delegation on a visit to Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平), who said legislators across the aisle should reach a consensus and demand that the Ministry of the Interior abolish the administrative order.

Deputy Minister of the Interior Chen Chwen-jing (陳純敬) said the ministry has agreed to terminate existing regulations — including surgery or psychological evaluations — but has yet to come up with alternative criteria for determining transgender status.