61 have legally changed gender since 2013

61 people have legally changed their gender on their birth certificates and ID cards since March 2013, aided by a law that allowed them to do so passed last year.

The data, tabled in Parliament on Monday by civil liberties minister Helena Dalli in response to a question by Labour whip Godfrey Farrugia, means that 21 gender changes were made in the past year.

The landmark gender identity law, enacted in April 2015, removed the need for people to undergo sex reassignment surgery before changing their official documentation so as to reflect their gender.

It has also given people the choice of not declaring their sex or gender identity on official documents through the introduction of an ‘X’ marker.

The law helped Malta rise to first place in the International Lesbian-Gay Association’s rankings for LGBTIQ rights in Europe.