equal rights for some, not for allThere have been similar cases in a handful of states across the nation, said New York Law School professor Arthur S. Leonard, an expert in sexual-orientation law.
Judges or appellate courts usually base their decision on the sex on people's birth certificates, unlike in Great Britain where transsexuals can obtain new birth certificates and marry in their adopted gender, he said.
"At some point, there has to be legislation about it," Leonard said. "It's taking society time to adjust to the concept of transsexuality and figure out what the legal rules should be."
Terry, who was born in Iowa as a male, has thought of herself as female since she was a toddler, according to her
MySpace.com page.
No one answered the phone at her home Thursday afternoon.