Madras HC has allowed a transgender to change her name, sex in her educational certificates. The petitioner had changed sex from female to male. She provided medical certificates to back her petition.
In a groundbreaking directive by the Madras High Court, a transgender was allowed to change his name and sex in his school and college pass certificates. He is reported to have undergone a sex reassignment surgery from female to male. Although born as a female, he is said to have always lived a life of a man.
Rita* sought help from the Madras HC to replace the name and sex change in all her documents as Kiran*, her acquired name after the surgery. Rita* completed BE in computer science and engineering from Anna University and held a distinction in the subject. Speaking to the media, she said that she always felt and behaved like a man, even though she was born a woman.
She consulted a surgeon who suggested that she underwent a sex reassignment surgery and a hormone therapy. After the completion of the therapies and a psychology test, she was issued a certificate stating that she was a transgender. She changed her name, which also got published in the Tamil Nadu government gazette and he got employed in a private company as a male.
He moved the court after his requests to authorities to change the name and sex in all his educational documents were not considered, citing the absence of any precedent or provision. Pulling up the officials, justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana said that just because there were no provisions, Kiran's request cannot be ignored. She also said that just because the petitioner is a transgender, he/she cannot be made to run from pillar to post.
The judge said changes could be made on the basis of the medical records that the petitioner has. She further added, "He has also produced sufficient documents to prove his identity and the authorities ought to have considered his application on merit. In fact, the authorities, in the nature of the present case, should readily extend their helping hand rather than denying the same looking down upon them." She also set a target of eight weeks within which the changes should be made.
(* The actual name is being withheld on account of the request for anonymity.)
