Gender recognition bill to provide protection to Isle of Man trans residents
A Gender Recognition bill designed to protect trans people on the Isle of Man has received unanimous backing on its third and final reading at the Legislative Council.
It is now being sent for Royal Assent.
The bill, steered by member Eddie Lowey, is being enacted to conform to the latest European Court of Human Rights rulings and updates the law to the new identities of post-op trans people.
It means a trans person who has been issued with a full gender recognition certificate will be legally regarded as being of their acquired gender, and that they will be able to marry a person of the opposite gender to their acquired gender.
The bill also states that the General Registry will establish a strictly confidential Gender Recognition Register to record the details of all gender recognition certificates that have been offered to the Chief Registrar.
It is based on similar legislation introduced in the UK, the Gender Recognition Act.
According to Iomtoday.co.uk, Mr Lowey said: “The Island must be able to show that it complies with its international obligations.
He added: ‘Giving legal protection to a small but potentially vulnerable section of the community is the right thing to do.
‘It’s almost impossible for most people to understand how anyone can see themselves outside the gender they were born as.
‘But this is a genuine medical condition which can cause a great deal of distress from an early age.
‘Going through the change can improve the quality of life for people with this condition.’
