These Ten Trans People Just Got Their First IDs Under Colombia's New Gender Rules

“Equality is Unstoppable,” tweeted a Colombian congresswoman following the ceremony.













On Tuesday, ten transgender Colombians became the first to get IDs under newly adopted rules giving the South American country one of the world's most progressive gender identity codes.

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Vice-Minister of Justice Ana María Ramos with people who received new IDs in today's ceremony.


facebook.com / Via Andrés Duque














Most other countries that allow for people to change their legal gender require a doctor to sign-off on the requests. Many also require people to undergo sterilization or other procedures before they can change their documentation. Twenty-three European countries, including Russia, Norway, and Italy, have laws requiring proof of sterilization on the books, though a recent ruling from the European Court of Human Rights challenging a Turkish law lays the groundwork for overturning them.

Since Argentina became the first country to allow people to change their legal gender through self-declaration in 2012, this has become the new gold standard for laws supported by transgender rights activists. Denmark and Malta adopted similar laws within the past year, and Ireland seems poised to follow suit.







































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