Japanese court rules surgery not required to legally change gender

In a landmark ruling celebrated by LGBTQ+ advocates, a court in Japan determined that a transgender person does not need to undergo surgery to change their gender on their documents.

Gen Suzuki, 48, filed a lawsuit in 2021, seeking a court decision to allow a change of his biologically assigned gender of female to male to match his self-identity without an operation. He said the requirement to undergo surgery was inhuman and unconstitutional.