Transsexual woman argues for name change before Brazil's Supreme Court

The Supreme Court (STF) on Wednesday (June 7) began hearing a case on the legal right of transsexual people to a civil name change even if they have not had sex reassignment surgery. The highlight in the first hearing was the oral argument of lawyer Gisele Alessandra Schmidt e Silva, the first transsexual person to speak at the Supreme Court.

Silva said the right to a name change should not be conditional upon sex reassignment because it is an invasive surgery that involves procedures not covered by public health services. Moreover, the lawyer pointed out, the process of changing a transsexual's legal name is an embarrassing ordeal of showing medical reports and physical and mental tests to a judge and having witnesses testify on their behalf.

“Today I stand here before Your Honours not only on my own behalf, but also on behalf of so many people who still go through a great deal of embarrassment and have their dignity violated every day. To deny someone the right over their name, the right to express their identity, is to deny them the very right to exist. We pray Your Honours not to deny us that right,” she said.

After the lawyer's argument, the trial was adjourned, and a new hearing date is yet to be defined. The lawsuit was filed by the Prosecutor-General's Office (PGR) to defend transsexual people's rights.

Translated by Mayra Borges