Nepal court orders passport change for transgenders 尼泊爾法院下令為跨性別人士變更護照

◎陳維真

Nepal’s Supreme Court has ordered the government to alter passports so that transgenders no longer have to describe themselves as male or female, a court spokesman said on Tuesday, a move welcomed by rights activists.

尼泊爾最高法院發言人週二表示，最高法院已下令政府變更護照，讓跨性別人士不必再將自己列為男性或女性。維權人士歡迎此舉。

The court made the decision on Monday following a petition from a transgender who wanted a third category introduced on passports for people who identify themselves neither as male or female, the spokesman said.

發言人表示，一名跨性別人士請願，要求在護照性別欄增加第3選項，供自認既非男性、也非女性者選擇後，最高法院週一做出決定。

The move comes more than six years after the court ordered the government to enact laws to guarantee the rights of transgender, gay, lesbian and bisexual people.

最高法院6年多前即下令政府制定法律，確保跨性別人士和男、女同性戀及雙性戀者的權利。

Early this year, Nepal introduced a transgender category for people obtaining their citizenship certificates. People can register as a "third gender" when completing the certificates, which serve as national identity cards required to open bank accounts, sell and buy property and get a passport.

今年稍早，尼泊爾已為領取公民證件者增列跨性別選項，民眾可在申請身分證件時登記為「第3性」。這種證件是到銀行開戶、買賣財產和申請護照時會用到的身分證。

Sunil Babu Pant, director of the Blue Diamond Society, a gay rights group, welcomed the court’s decision.

同性戀人權團體「藍鑽石協會」會長潘特歡迎這項決定。

"We are very happy with this. This decision has made it easier for those who identify themselves as ’third gender’. Now they can travel abroad carrying a passport which gives them a recognition," Pant told AFP.（AFP）

潘特向法新社表示。「我們很高興聽到這項消息。這個決定可以讓自認是『第三性』的人更自在。現在他們出國時可以帶著讓他們獲得認同的護照了。」

（法新社）

新聞辭典

petition：名詞，請願。例句：Thousands of people signed the petition fo stop the construction of a new nuclear power plant.（數千人簽署請願書，希望阻止新核電廠興建。）

enact：動詞，制定（法律）。例句：Legislation was enacted to attract international companies.（制定法律來吸引國際企業。）

recognition：名詞，認同、認可、承認。例句：Taiwan enjoys all the attributes of soverign state except international recognition.（台灣擁有所有主權國家的條件，惟未獲國際承認。）