Transgender rights in Argentina

Transgender rights in Argentina are among the most advanced in the world. The country "has one of the world's most comprehensive transgender rights laws":[1] its Gender Law, passed in 2012, made Argentina the "only country that allows people to change their gender identities without facing barriers such as hormone therapy, surgery or psychiatric diagnosis that labels them as having an abnormality".[2][3] In 2015, the World Health Organization cited Argentina as an exemplary country for providing transgender rights.[3] Upon legalising same-sex marriage on July 15, 2010, Argentina became the first country in Latin America, the second in the Americas, and the tenth in the world to do so.[4]

History

In 1997, Asociación de Lucha por la Identidad Travesti-Transsexual was created to defend the rights of transgender people. One of its first victories came in 2006 when the Supreme Court overturned a lower court's ruling that had stated that transgender people did not have a legal right to organize and campaign for their rights.

In 2007, the Supreme Court ruled that a 17-year-old had the legal right to go through the sex change process and have her legal documents changed to reflect the operation.[5]

In 2009, Marcela Romero won the legal right to have her identity changed, and was given an honorary title by the government. She was awarded by the Honorable Congress woman of the year. Romero remains one of the leading advocates for the human rights of transgender people in Argentina.[6]

In 2012, senators unanimously approved the "Gender Law".

Gender identity law

The Ley de Género (Gender Law)[7] grants adults sex reassignment surgery and hormone therapy as a part of their public or private health care plans. The law also allows for changes to gender, image, or birth name on civil registries without the approval of a doctor or a judge.[2] In 2013 a six-year-old girl named Luana, who was designated male at birth, became the first transgender child in Argentina to have her new name officially changed on her identity documents. She is believed to be the youngest to benefit from the country’s Gender Identity Law.[8]

The law made Argentina the "only country that allows people to change their gender identities without facing barriers such as hormone therapy, surgery or psychiatric diagnosis that labels them as having an abnormality".[2][3] In 2015, the World Health Organization cited Argentina as an exemplary country for providing transgender rights.[3]

Discrimination protections

In certain towns or cities, cross dress may be illegal. Discrimination and harassment on the account of gender identity still remains a problem, although the transgender community has become more visible and politically organized.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Lavers, Michael K. (March 24, 2016). "Argentina joins global LGBT rights initiative". Washington Blade. Brown, Naff, Pitts Omnimedia, Inc. Archived from the original on November 22, 2016. Retrieved November 22, 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 "Argentina OKs transgender rights: ID changes, sex-change operations and hormone therapy". 9 May 2012.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Lahrichi, Kamilia; La Valle, Leo (April 4, 2016). "Argentina's Field of Dreams for the LGBT". U.S. News & World Report. U.S. News & World Report L.P. Archived from the original on November 22, 2016. Retrieved November 22, 2016.
  4. ↑ "Argentine Senate backs bill legalising gay marriage". BBC News. 15 July 2010. Archived from the original on 10 May 2012.
  5. ↑ "Argentina autoriza por primera vez una operación de cambio de sexo a un menor" [Argentine authorises change-of-sex surgery for the first time] (in Spanish). Buenos Aires: El Mundo. EFE. 26 September 2007. Archived from the original on 10 July 2012. Retrieved 10 July 2012.
  6. ↑ "Fighting stigma against sexual minorities in Latin America". UNAIDS. 19 September 2006. Archived from the original on 10 July 2012. Retrieved 10 July 2012.
  7. ↑ Archived 16 July 2014 at the Wayback Machine.
  8. ↑ Bowater, Donna (27 September 2013). "Six-year-old becomes first transgender child in Argentina to change identity". The Telegraph. Rio de Janeiro. Archived from the original on 11 April 2014.
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