Ireland's Trans Population Must Divorce to Gain Recognition?
by Steve W.
July 15, 2011
2:13 pm
http://www.care2.com/causes/irelands-trans-population-must-divorce-to-gain-recognition.htmlA report on new draft-legislation detailing how transgender people will finally be given legal recognition in Ireland has met with a mixed reaction over stipulations concerning partnership rights.
Authored by the Gender Recognition Advisory Group and launched this week by Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton, the legislation, which will be released by next year, will allow trans citizens to formally amend their gender identity on official records.
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However, trans rights groups have raised "grave" reservations about certain stipulations in the bill surrounding partnerships and marriages. The draft-legislation would require applicants to divorce their partner if they are transitioning to the same-sex as that partner. The same goes for if a person is in an existing civil partnership and wishes to transition to the opposite-sex as their partner. This is because while Ireland recently began recognizing civil unions, the country does not recognize same-sex marriages.
