Transsexual’s two passports request denied
Norwegian police officials have turned down a request from a transsexual to be issued with two passports.
The 63-year-old, reported to be a crime fiction author, accused the authorities of trans discrimination.
The Aftenposten newspaper in Oslo reported yesterday that the Ministry of Justice had dismissed the accusation of discrimination and stood by the police policy of one passport per citizen.
The writer, who was not named, at times prefers to appear male and at other times female, and wanted one passport for each sex.
He said having only one passport creates problems when travelling outside the EU.
Aftenposten states that he is undergoing medical treatment but does not stipulate if he is in the process of gender reassignment.
In the UK, the Gender Recognition Act came into effect in 2005 and granted legal recognition to transsexuals.
It allows them to acquire a new birth certificate and therefore be issued with a new passport.
The birth certificate showing the previous legal gender continues to exist, and some government agencies can access to the Gender Recognition Register showing the links between the two birth certificates.