(Adds Opposition statement)

An early hitch in the new gender identity law has left transgender people who were adopted as children unable to legally change their sex.

Under the Gender Identity, Gender Expression and Sex Characteristics Act introduced last month, transgender people are entitled to change their birth certificates and identification documents through a simple notarial deed
without undergoing gender reassignment surgery or receiving a medical diagnosis.

However, Alex Mangion, who became Malta’s first ever transgender elected official when he was elected to the Attard local council last month, told Times of Malta that he was currently being prevented from amending his documents.

Mr Mangion, who was adopted from Romania when he was one, approached a
notary to begin the process soon after the law was passed, but was initially told he had to wait.

A spokesman for the Civil Liberties Ministry said the ministry was currently working on an amendment to the law to ensure that all Maltese nationals would be able to have their documents changed.

In a statement this morning, Justice shadow minister Jason Azzopardi said the Opposition would be moving amendments to ensure that the law was not discriminatory.

He said this was a concrete example of how proactive the Opposition was.

Read more on Times of Malta.