A Japanese court rules it’s unconstitutional to require surgery for a change of gender on documents

By MARI YAMAGUCHI
Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — A court in central Japan has ruled that it is unconstitutional to require a transgender person to undergo surgery to remove their current reproductive organs in order for them to receive documentation under their new gender. The verdict in Shizuoka family court upholds a transgender plaintiff’s request to change their gender from female to male without having surgery. The decision has been hailed as a landmark by LGBTQ+ advocates. The verdict sets only a limited precedent, but a similar case before Japan’s Supreme Court could set legal precedent nationally.