http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Alternattiva/message/5681
PR 3/6/2008
Newly appointed spokesperson for LGBT issues Dr. Ing. Patrick Attard expressed AD's disappointment at the humiliation being faced by a woman who, after sex-reassignment surgery, was not allowed to marry the man she loves. The Marriage Registrar deems she is neither a man or a woman and that she cannot marry anyone. AD believes that since the said person has had gender reassignment
legally accepted by the state then the Marriage Registrar is bound to abide by this and recognise the change in gender.
Patrick Attard said: 'AD would like to express its sympathy, support and solidarity with this woman and calls on the state to fully recognise such peoples' identity. AD also calls for the introduction of civil partnerships between persons of the same-sex. Our laws must face reality and afford legal recognition to people who are committed to each other. Adults should be left to make their own decisions, the state should stop telling people what to do in such intimate and personal matters.'
AD hopes that common sense and humanity will prevail and that the state will allow this lady, who must have already been through a great ordeal to be allowed to marry the person she loves. AD considers that the Marriage Registrar has been grossly insensitive in this case.
R Cassar
A/PRO
99894962
Whilst I sympathise with Joanne Cassar’s plight I believe the greatest problem is the fact that she has still not come to terms with herself, her condition and the culture in which she lives. She needs to accept that despite all the medical interventions she went through and what she herself feels, she can never be accepted by medical or legal society as a “real biological woman” but only as a person from a minority group who was born with male genitalia and a Gender identity disorder condition who eventually underwent sex-change surgery. The fact is that all minority groups – and not just those afflicted with a Gender identity disorder condition – generally face greater problems than “mainstreamers”.
ReplyDeleteWhilst our society should do much more to educate about this condition – particularly in the primary and secondary school years where such education is practically unheard of – and ensure that children and adults with such conditions are accepted and protected from exaggerated teasing and bullying I do not think it is right to change the present definition of a civil marriage. It was the February 2007 ruling that was wrong and Joanne Cassar’s emotional trauma would have been less had it never been issued. Thankfully she has an extensive supportive network of relatives and friends. But what if she was not so blessed?