A man who underwent surgery for cryptorchidism in childhood only developed male secondary sexual characteristics during middle school. After the surgery, he felt uncomfortable with his biological sex and identified as a woman from that point onward.
After being diagnosed with gender dysphoria in 2008 through two hospitals, the man applied for a gender change at the Chiayi City Household Registration Office but was rejected on the grounds that he had not undergone gender reassignment surgery.
On September 30, the Kaohsiung High Administrative Court ruled that the household registration office violated the individual’s psychological and physical integrity, ultimately siding with the man.
In response to the case, the Interior Ministry issued a press release on Tuesday, stating that current birth registrations are based on biological sex. It noted that a meeting with the Health Ministry back in 2008 resulted in a resolution clarifying that individuals wishing to change their gender must provide assessment letters from two psychiatrists and documentation confirming the completion of genital removal surgery.
The ministry expressed its respect for the court's ruling and emphasized that case registrations will adhere to the judgment. Additionally, it stated that it will continue to gather relevant impact assessment opinions regarding gender change issues, respect medical professionals' judgments, and reference international legal standards to consider the requirements for gender change recognition, moving toward legal regulation.