A public consultation on a new Gender Identity Bill was issued by the government this evening as the Bill was given a first reading in Parliament.

Public Dialogue Minister Helena Dalli explained that the government was proposing to regulate the procedure for change of legal gender for minors and adults alike.

At present, she explained, changes to documents on gender could only be made after gender reassignment surgery. However, the law would henceforth provide that, even without surgery, it shall be the right of everyone to request the Director of Public Registry to change the recorded gender and, or first name in order to reflect that person’s self-determined gender identity.

The director will not require evidence other than a notarial deed including a clear and unequivocal declaration by the applicant that one’s gender identity does not correspond to the assigned sex in the act of birth.

The law will provide for the privacy of the person whose gender would have been rectified on official documents.

The law will also provide parents with the possibility to postpone the entry of a gender marker on their children’s birth certificate until the child is 14 years old.

See the draft Bill in Maltese and English on pdf below.

More details at http://msdc.gov.mt/en/Public_Consultations/MSDC/Pages/Consultations/GIGESC.aspx