LGBT activist and long-time campaigner for gender recognition, Dr Lydia Foy has been honoured with European Parliament’s Citizen’s Prize in Brussels.
“I feel now that with the endorsement of Europe and the endorsement of Ireland, I can say yes, maybe I was doing something right for the good of people, for access to the law and for future generations when it comes to diversity. Hopefully we’ll have a more open mind and won’t be marginalising anybody,” she said.
Dr Lydia Foy has lived as a woman since 1991. In March 1993, Dr Foy applied to the office of the Registrar General for a new birth certificate to reflect her gender. She was refused.
In April 1997, after a number of years’ unsuccessful correspondence with the Registrar General’s office, Dr Foy initiated High Court proceedings to compel the Registrar to issue her with a new birth certificate. In October 2000, the case was heard in the High Court by Mr Justice Liam McKechnie.
Dr Foy’s claim was rejected in July 2002 due to the lack of Irish or UK legislation that would facilitate the overturning of the existing jurisprudence. Justice McKechnie called on the Government and Oireachtas to deal with the position of transgender people as a matter of urgency.
Dr Foy continued to fight for legal recognition and after a 20 year battle she final settled the case last year, receiving her new birth cert last month.
Sinn Féin MEP Lynn Boylan, who, along with fellow MEPs Martina Anderson, Matt Carthy and Liadh Ní Riada, nominated Ms Foy for the award said, “hearing she’s the first transgender person to receive any sort of European award or recognition is a really important message to send to transgender communities across Europe.”
Ireland now has one of the most progressive gender recognition laws in Europe.
Kudos.
H/T The Irish Times
