Transgender Emiratis fail legal status change

Three Emirati women who had sex-change operations abroad to become men failed in their legal bid to change their gender in the UAE.

The Federal Appeal Court turned down the request to have their names and gender changed in the government’s registry.

Their lawyer said his clients had grown up with the physical appearance of men and that the surgery had been to correct their reproductive organs to match that.

In September 2016, a law was passed permitting a sexchange operation if a person’s gender is unclear or if a medical examination confirms that their physical features do not match their biological, physiological and genetic characteristics.

The authorities have said that any surgery should be corrective and not elective.

But lawyer Ali Al Mansouri, who has represented the three since 2016, said his clients had corrective surgery.

“I have official government medical reports for the health authorities that recommend that they undergo sex change operations,” he said.

Based on that the Emiratis underwent sex change operations, he said.

Yet a medical committee appointed by the court to look into their case rejected the request. The court has not released the reason.

“I believe that the judicial authorities are worried about opening the door to sexchange operations, but this is unacceptable,” he said. “Do you have any idea how difficult their lives are right now?

“I brought my clients to court and the judge himself was shocked when he saw them and asked me if these were the same Emiratis I was talking about. They are male in every sense.”

He said his clients have difficulty finding employment or health care because their documents state they are women but they look like men.

“One of the entities made an exception for one of my clients but it has been a traumatising experience,” he said.

“They are not and cannot lead normal lives so long as the state recognises them as women when they are in essence men.”

Mr Al Mansouri will request an appeal.

“All we ask for is that their female names be changed in the government national registry. They have already undergone the surgery so naturally they must have their names and gender changed on their official documents.”

When the law’s change was announced, Dr Isis Badawi, a clinical psychologist at the Canadian Medical Centre, said the move was “progressive”.

“I do not consider myself an expert in the field but I see many transgender individuals in the UAE,” she said.

“For them to come to see me is an indication of the level of unhappiness and alienation they experience.”