The Hong Kong Supreme Court today handed down a landmark ruling on the rights of transgender people.

The judges ruled that preventing transgender people from changing their gender on their ID cards until the transition is completed by surgery violates their rights and is unconstitutional.

The High Court has accepted appeals filed by transgender activists Henry Che and another person identified as “Q”, overturning the decision of the Registration Service Commissioner, who dismissed their applications to change their identity.

“The result of this policy was that people, such as plaintiffs, were faced with a dilemma and had to decide whether they would be subject to regular violations of personal data rights or whether they would be subjected to particularly invasive and medically unnecessary procedures that violated their right to physical integrity.” , the judges said in their ruling.

“Obviously, this does not reflect a reasonable balance. This policy places an unacceptably heavy burden on those affected.”

Che and Q underwent lengthy medical and surgical procedures, but the front desk required them to have full sex reassignment surgery, which the two people believe is unnecessary, unwanted, and highly invasive.

Che welcomed the decision because it would address the “pressing issues” he faced with having the wrong ID and called for a gender recognition law. “Today’s result is a delayed administration of justice, a Pyrrhic victory. The event itself should never have happened,” Che said in a statement.

RES-EMP source