Dentist changes gender, seeks new certs

Dentist changes gender, seeks new certs

Moves Court For Birth, Educational Documents With Male Identity

Saeed.Khan@timesgroup.com

Ahmedabad:06.02.2021

A 31-year-old dentist has approached the Gujarat high court requesting to direct concerned authorities to change his gender identity from female to male and put his newly assumed name in the birth and education certificates after a successful sex reassignment surgery that transformed her from a woman to a man.

The Maninagar resident has mentioned in the petition that he was born a girl in a public hospital in Dhandhuka. “Although the petitioner was born as a girl, she behaved like a boy child and was comfortable and confident in male clothing,” he stated in the petition. It was submitted that he was diagnosed as a case of gender dysphoria. Upon obtaining expert opinion, the petitioner underwent a surgery in April 2018 successfully.

After the sex revision surgery, he has got all identification documents under his newly accepted male name and they all specifically mention his gender as a male. He has got an Aadhaar card, passport and driving licence in his new name which reflects his new male identity.

The problem arose when the civic body, concerned education authorities and the dentist council declined to issue educational certificates and birth certificates in his new name and gender. “If his name and gender are not changed in these documents, the same would cause great inconvenience to the petitioner,” the petition reads.

The dentist urged the HC to direct Dhandhuka municipality to change his name and sex from female to male in the birth certificate. He has also sought directions to the Gujarat State Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board and Bhavnagar University to make necessary changes in education certificates. He also wants the Gujarat State Dental Council to make changes in his registration certificate as a dentist.

The high court has issued notices to all these authorities and sought their replies. Further hearing is posted on February 18, said petitioner’s advocate Premal Joshi.