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Intersex rights in Malta

Intersex rights in Malta since 2015 are among the most progressive in the world. Intersex children in Malta have world-first protections from non-consensual cosmetic medical interventions, following the passing into law of the Gender Identity, Gender Expression and Sex Characteristics Act in 2015. All Maltese intersex persons have protection from discrimination. Individuals who seek it can access simple administrative methods of changing sex assignment, with binary and non-binary forms of identification available.

History
Medieval A 12th-century canon law collection known as the states that "Whether an hermaphrodite may witness a testament, depends on which sex prevails" (Hermafroditus an ad testamentum adhiberi possit, qualitas sexus incalescentis ostendit). Early modern period In a court case heard at the Castellania in 1774 during the Order of St John in Malta, 17-year-old Rosa Mifsud from Luqa, later described in clinical literature as a "pseudo-hermaphrodite", petitioned for a change in sex classification from female. The Grandmaster himself took the final decision for Mifsud to wear male-only clothes from then on. Local representatives Silvan Agius of ILGA-Europe and Ruth Baldacchino of ILGA hosted and co-organized the event. The declaration affirmed the existence of intersex people, and demanded an end to "discrimination against intersex people and to ensure the right of bodily integrity, physical autonomy and self-determination". Silvan Agius subsequently became human rights policy coordinator at the Ministry for Social Dialogue, In 2015, Malta adopted world-first protections for intersex people, including protection from non-consensual cosmetic changes to sex characteristics in childhood, and protection from discrimination. == Physical integrity and bodily autonomy ==
Physical integrity and bodily autonomy
In April 2015, Malta passed world-first legislation that protects intersex infants and children from non-consensual medical interventions. The Act was widely welcomed internationally by civil society organizations. ==Protection from discrimination==
Protection from discrimination
The 2015 Gender Identity Gender Expression and Sex Characteristics Act protects intersex people from discrimination on grounds of "sex characteristics", as well as offering world-first protection from harmful practices. ==Identification documents==
Identification documents
The same Gender Identity Gender Expression and Sex Characteristics Act introduced new provisions allowing applicants to change their gender identity documents by a simple administrative method. Malta also permits an "X" option on identification documents since 6 September 2017. The first ID card and passport with "X" marker were issued on 23 January 2018. ==Marriage==
Marriage
Legislation to enact marriage equality was introduced following a snap election in mid-2017. It went into effect on 1 September 2017. ==See also==
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