Gender Identity Changes Must Be Recognized Across E.U. Borders, Court Rules | A man who changed his name and gender identity in Britain successfully challenged to have them legally recognized by Romania
Gender Identity Changes Must Be Recognized Across E.U. Borders, Court Rules | A man who changed his name and gender identity in Britain successfully challenged to have them legally recognized by Romania
> The European Union’s top court on Friday said governments in the bloc must recognize legal changes to a person’s gender identity and name made in other E.U. nations, a ruling that rights campaigners say could give transgender people more freedom to live and work around the region.
> The decision by the Court of Justice of the European Union came after a British-Romanian transgender man challenged the Romanian government in a Bucharest court in 2021 after it rejected an application to change his gender identity on official documents.
The man, Arian Mirzarafie-Ahi, was born in Romania, where had he had been registered at birth as female. He moved to Britain in 2008 and became a naturalized citizen.
> According to the ruling, Mr. Mirzarafie-Ahi, 32, legally changed his identity while in Britain, adopting a new first name in 2017 and obtaining a certificate recognizing his male gender identity in 2020.
> The next year, he requested a new Romanian birth certificate identifying him as male. But Romanian authorities rejected his application, according to the ruling, insisting he complete Romania’s process for a gender identity change through that country’s courts.
> The case was referred to the Court of Justice, which ruled that Romania must recognize the gender identity change Mr. Mirzarafie-Ahi made in Britain.
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> The European Union’s top court on Friday said governments in the bloc must recognize legal changes to a person’s gender identity and name made in other E.U. nations, a ruling that rights campaigners say could give transgender people more freedom to live and work around the region.
> The decision by the Court of Justice of the European Union came after a British-Romanian transgender man challenged the Romanian government in a Bucharest court in 2021 after it rejected an application to change his gender identity on official documents.
The man, Arian Mirzarafie-Ahi, was born in Romania, where had he had been registered at birth as female. He moved to Britain in 2008 and became a naturalized citizen.
> According to the ruling, Mr. Mirzarafie-Ahi, 32, legally changed his identity while in Britain, adopting a new first name in 2017 and obtaining a certificate recognizing his male gender identity in 2020.
> The next year, he requested a new Romanian birth certificate identifying him as male. But Romanian authorities rejected his application, according to the ruling, insisting he complete Romania’s process for a gender identity change through that country’s courts.
> The case was referred to the Court of Justice, which ruled that Romania must recognize the gender identity change Mr. Mirzarafie-Ahi made in Britain.
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