Asia-Pacific News
Hong Kong court refuses to let sex-change woman marry boyfriend
Oct 5, 2010, 7:25 GMT
Hong Kong - A Hong Kong transsexual was Tuesday refused the right to marry her boyfriend after the city's High Court ruled that a person's gender is determined by their sex at birth.
The ruling came after the woman, who was born a man, challenged a decision by Hong Kong's marriage registry that she could not legally marry a man.
Although the sex-change surgery was funded by the Hong Kong government and the woman now has an identity card stating she is female, her sex remains male on her birth certificate and Hong Kong law prohibits same-sex marriage.
Judge Andrew Cheung said the issue of transsexual marriages should be resolved by legislation rather than the courts.
The case was seen as a test of permissiveness in Hong Kong, which despite its cosmopolitan image is largely conservative and traditional in attitudes towards sex and marriage.
Read more about HongKong Justice
Read more about Society
COMMENT
blog comments powered by DisqusLatest Headlines in Asia-Pacific
- 1. Chinese dissidents hail late democracy activist Fang Lizhi
- 2. China "worried" over planned North Korea rocket launch
- 3. Myanmar's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi meets Karen rebels
- 4. Chinese schoolboy sells kidney to buy iPad, iPhone
- 5. Myanmar president invites Karen rebels to form party
Older Talkback
