Judge approves gender change for Hilton

The judge handling the case of Yvanna Paris Hilton on Wednesday approved the request for a gender change. This means that Hilton can go to the Central Bureau for Civic Affairs (CBB) to have the gender changed from male to female. Hilton’s attorney, Audrey Tjong A Sie, told Times of Suriname that the judge has ordered CBB to update its registers by mentioning Yvanna’s gender change. The attorney made it clear that no information is being crossed out but that additional information is being added to the registers, indicating that Yvanna’s gender is female. In 2011 Yvanna had already changed her name via a comment. But that is also when the identity dilemma started. In December 2015 she hired an attorney to start the proceedings aimed at bringing about a gender change. The attorney explained that this case provides a precedent for similar cases in Suriname in the future. She had based her client’s request on international jurisprudence, human rights treaties and the constitution. The attorney had referred to several articles from Suriname’s constitution such as the right to personal freedom, safety and respect for one’s private life. “This ruling can be seen as a verdict for other transgenders who also want to request a gender change. The feeling alone that one is in a wrong body is not enough. My client, Yvanna, met various requirements. She was convinced that she was in the wrong body and therefore had some physical changes made so that could change from male to female,” said the attorney who added that she had presented the declaration from the plastic surgeon and the psychologist to the judge. The attorney deemed it regrettable that people rallied through the street while the court was handling her client’s request. Tjong A Sie pointed out that she also believes in God. “We must respect each other. I hope that everybody will accept the ruling.”