Chilean president Sebastian Pinera has signed into law a Bill allowing people over 14 years of age to change their name and gender in official records.
Wednesday’s signing marks a historic shift in a traditionally conservative, predominantly Catholic country. The Bill was first introduced by center-left president Michelle Bachelet. It then faced fierce lobbying by conservative and religious groups until its eventual passage by politicians in September, nearly five years later.
“I am aware there are varying opinions on this issue,” said center-right President Pinera. “But I am firm in my conviction that we have taken a step in the right direction.”
The law marks the latest stage in the evolution of public policy in Chile, an Andean nation until recently dominated by a conservative, Catholic culture.
Chile legalised divorce in 2004, making it one of the last countries in the world to do so. And the its ban on abortion, one of the strictest in the world, was lifted in 2017, though for special circumstances only.
The transgender Bill defines gender identity as a personal conviction of whether a person sees himself or herself as male or female, irrespective of their physical state or gender or name assigned to them in the country’s civic register.
Children aged 14 to 18 must first obtain parental consent or approval from legal guardians.
There are no official statistics for the number of trans people in Chile. – Reuters