Rights for Transgender

 Gender identity refers to a person’s experience of  their own gender. Transgender people have a gender  identity that is different from the sex that they were  assigned at birth. A transgender or trans person may  identify as a man, woman, transman, transwoman,  as a non-binary person, and with other terms such  as hijra, third gender, two-spirit, travesti, fa’afafine,  genderqueer, transpinoy, muxe, waria and meti.  Gender identity is different from sexual orientation .Trans people may have any sexual orientation,  including heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual and  asexual.  Many trans people wish to have their preferred  name and gender legally recognized and reflected  on official ID documents. Many also change their  physical appearance, including the way they  dress, in order to affirm or express their gender  identity. Some trans people – although not  all – undertake gender-affirming surgery and/ or hormone therapy. Trans people in all parts  of the world are at heightened risk of violence,  harassment and discrimination. Human rights  violations range from bullying and verbal abuse,  to denial of healthcare, education, work and  housing, to criminalization, arbitrary arrest and  detention, violence, assault, torture, rape and  murder. Exposure to these and related abuses  may be further exacerbated by other factors, such  as age, ethnicity, occupation, socio-economic class  and disability. 

                             Recognition of gender identity 

Everyone has the right to be  recognized as a person before  the law. The United Nations has  affirmed the right of trans persons  to legal recognition of their gender  identity and a change of gender  in official documents, including  birth certificates, without being  subjected to onerous and abusive  requirements.  This right is violated in all regions.  Many countries deny trans people  any possibility of obtaining legal  recognition of their gender  identity. Many of those that do  provide for legal recognition, force  trans individuals to meet various  conditions before their identity  can be recognized – including  sterilization, sex-assignment  surgery or treatment, psychiatric  diagnosis of gender identity  disorder, divorce and confinement  in psychiatric institutions. In  most countries minors and non binary people have no access to  recognition of their gender identity.