Russia to Ban Gender Changes on ID Documents

The Russian Ministry of Justice is set to amend its legislation allowing gender changes on passports and other documents of identification.

The current allowances fail to adhere to Russia’s “basic principles” and “constitutional priorities,” ministry chief Konstantin Chuychenko said.

Individuals have used the 2018 policy to bypass same-sex marriage restrictions, changing their gender on paperwork but maintaining their biological appearance.

Reporting from RT:

“We thus see the following: a person who changed their gender in a passport but remained physically the same, can register marriage, adopt children…” the minister told TASS in an interview, adding that legal conflicts also arise over the age at which such a person should be entitled to retirement benefits, or over what type of a penitentiary facility they should be placed in if sentenced for an offense.

“We are dealing not just with some legal collisions linked to gender change but inconformity with the current conceptual [policy] documents and constitutional priorities,” Chuychenko said. He did not elaborate on when proposed changes to the legislation would be prepared by his ministry or when they might come into force.

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