Advocates are disappointed the State Government has refused to address the full gamut of inequalities against transgender, intersex and gender diverse Tasmanian and have called on the opposition parties to rectify the omission when the bill is debated later this week.
The Government introduced a bill removing the requirement that transgender partners must divorce if they wish to have their gender identity recognised on official documents, but it has baulked at removing the requirement that transgender people have surgery before their gender identity is officially recognised.
Transforming Tasmania spokesperson, Martine Delaney, said,
“Removing the divorce requirement and removing the surgery requirement are linked by the same principles and affect the same people, which is why we want to see them happen at the same time.”
“There are other reforms we also believe are well overdue, including banning unnecessary surgery on intersex infants and removing gender markers from birth certificates, none of which need to be delayed.”
Responding to Attorney-General, Elise Archer’s move to send transgender, intersex and gender diverse law reform to the Tasmanian Law Reform Institute for an inquiry, Ms Delaney said,
“The former Anti-Discrimination Commissioner, Robin Banks, conducted a fulsome inquiry three years ago, and yet another will unnecessarily delay justice for a group of Tasmanians who have already waited for too long.”
Last year’s amendments to the Marriage Act allowing same-sex marriages gave the states until December this year to remove their laws forcing transgender partners to divorce.
