Trans man legally
changes sex identity under new Spanish law

Julio Cuesta, a 50-year-old trans man, has become the first individual in Spain under a new law to legally change his or her biological sex on official documents without undergoing a sex-change operation. The law, which took effect last month, allows trans people to have their sex change reflected on documents like driver's licenses even if they have not had surgery, reports Agence France-Presse.

It requires trans people seeking to change their sex identity to show a medical certificate indicating their trans status as well as documentation that they have been receiving hormone treatments for a minimum of two years. Previously, trans people were allowed to change their sex identity legally only after undergoing sex-reassignment surgery and receiving a court's permission. Cuesta, born a woman, will now be referred to as a man in papers at the civil registry office in Valencia. (The Advocate)