Rights activists in Taiwan are calling on the government to respect court decisions saying a rule that transgender people must have surgery to change their gender markers is unconstitutional.
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00:00A new tactic from transgender rights activists in Taiwan, calling for the National Ombudsman
00:05to find out why the government here refuses to budge on what they say is an unconstitutional
00:10law.
00:11The requirement for transgender people who want to change their gender marker on official
00:16documents to undergo surgery.
00:31For activists, removing this rule is key to trans equality.
00:42In Taiwan, a country known for its strong democracy and commitment to human rights,
00:47transgender rights are the next big challenge.
00:50Activists here say that when it comes to LGBTQ plus issues, the transgender community is
00:55being left behind.
00:57Taiwan was the first country in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage in 2019.
01:02And despite some promising signs, key transgender issues, like the requirement to have surgery
01:08to change gender markers on documents, have made little progress.
01:13Transgender Taiwanese have been taking the surgery issue to court.
01:16And together with LGBTQ plus rights activists, they've won six cases.
01:21But the government has not moved.
01:28In a statement this week, Taiwan's Interior Ministry said it was still holding consultations
01:47on what it says is an issue that affects all of society.
01:51But transgender people here and their supporters are tired of bureaucracy.
01:56They say the current rules breach their fundamental human rights and must change.
02:01Andy Xue and Rick Laut in Taipei for Taiwan Plus.