INFO:

A court in Japan has ruled that it is unconstitutional to require a trans person to undergo surgery to remove their reproductive organs in order for them to legally change their gender. 48-year-old Gen Suzuki filed a lawsuit in 2021 to change his biologically assigned gender to match his self-identity without having to undergo surgery. He described the current law as inhuman and unconstitutional. On Thursday 12 October, the Shizuoka family court ruled that the law violated Article 13 of the Constitution which grants “the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” to all individuals in Japan. A similar lawsuit by a trans woman is awaiting a decision by the Japanese Supreme Court, which could set a new legal precedent on a national level.