BY Christopher Mangum
October 13 2009 1:10 PM ET
Uruguay’s senate passed a bill on Monday that will allow individuals to receive sex-reassignment surgery and change their name on legal documents to accurately reflect their gender.
"Every person has the right to freely develop their personality in accordance with the proper identity of their gender, independent of their biological, genetic, anatomic... identity," reads the text, reports the Associated Foreign Press.
The amendment restricts the change of sex and name to those over 18 and requires that five years pass before an applicant can request another change.
The bill passed unanimously in the senate and now awaits President Tabaré Vásquez’s signature to become law. The head of the left-wing Uruguayan government, who has put the Latin American country at the forefront of gay rights legislation since assuming office in 2005, is expected to sign the bill.
Earlier this month, Uruguay became the first Latin American nation to allow gay couples to adopt. And despite opposition from religious leaders, the nation’s government also recognizes same-sex civil unions and has opened military schools to gay candidates.
Sign Up For Email Updates
- The End of Bullying Could Video Games Be a Cure for Anti-LGBT Bullying? 2 hours 43 min ago
- Television The Brains Behind Husbands 6:03 AM
- Tyler Curry The 'Undetectable' Paradox in Talking About HIV 6:00 AM
- Current Issue Meet the New Voice for Dallas 4:00 AM
- Books New Antigay Children's Book Teaches Kids to Hate LGBT Families May 23 2013 8:17 PM
- Commentary Op-ed: Boy Scouts Must Complete the Inclusion Process May 23 2013 7:32 PM
- Sports Gay Athletes Hop Aboard the Condom Mobile May 23 2013 7:15 PM
















