Changing legal gender assignment in Brazil

Laws concerning gender identity-expression around the world.

  Legal identity change

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Transvestites in São Paulo

Changing legal gender assignment in Brazil is legal according to the Superior Court of Justice of Brazil, as stated in a decision rendered on October 17, 2009.^[1]

Unanimously, the 3rd Class of the Superior Court of Justice approved allowing the option of name and gender change on the birth certificate of a transsexual who has undergone gender reassignment surgery.

The understanding of the ministers was that it made no sense to allow people to have such surgery performed in the free federal health system, Sistema Único de Saúde, and not allow them to change their name and gender in the civil registry.^[2]

The ministers followed the vote of the rapporteur, Nancy Andrighi. "If Brazil consents to the possibility of surgery, it should also provide the means for the individual to have a decent life in society," she said. In the opinion of the rapporteur, preventing the record change for a transsexual who has gone through a sex change could constitute a new form of social prejudice, and cause more psychological instability.^[3]

"The issue is delicate. At the beginning of compulsory civil registry, distinction between the two sexes was determined according to the genitalia. Today there are other influential factors, and that identification can no longer be limited to the apparent sex. There is a set of social, psychological problems that must be considered. Vetoing this exchange would be putting the person in an untenable position, subject to anxieties, uncertainty, and more conflict," she said.^[4]

According to Minister João Otávio Noronha of the Superior Court of Justice, the transsexual, in respect to their dignity, autonomy, intimacy and privacy, should have their social integration ensured according to their individual identity, which must therefore incorporate their civil registry.^[5]

In 2008, Brazil's public health system started providing free sex change operations in compliance with a court order. Federal prosecutors had argued that sexual reassignment surgery was covered under a constitutional clause guaranteeing medical care as a basic right.^[6]

The Regional Federal Court agreed, saying in its ruling that "from the biomedical perspective, transsexuality can be described as a sexual identity disturbance where individuals need to change their sexual designation or face serious consequences in their lives, including intense suffering, mutilation and suicide."

Patients must be at least 21 years old and diagnosed as transsexuals with no other personality disorders, and must undergo psychological evaluation with a multidiciplinary team for at least two years.^[7]

See also

	Transgender portal
	Brazil portal

• LGBT rights in the Americas
• LGBT rights in Brazil
• Legal aspects of transsexualism
• Name change
• List of transgender-related topics
• Changing legal gender assignment in Canada
• Changing legal gender assignment in the United States

References

1. ^ Transgenders can change their name, as decided by the Supreme Court of Justice (Portuguese)
2. ^ Gender reassignment surgery is free in Brazil (Portuguese)
3. ^ Jurisprudence of the Changing legal gender assignment in Brazil by Superior Court (Portuguese)
4. ^ The Superior Court of Justice allows transsexuals to change name and sex on birth certificate (Portuguese)
5. ^ Legal change of name in Brazil (Portuguese)
6. ^ Sex-change in Brazil (Portuguese)
7. ^ Brazil to provide free sex-change operations (English)