Transsexual wins marriage right

LONDON, England -- An English transsexual has won her battle in the European Court of Human Rights to be recognised as a woman and to marry under British law.

Christine Goodwin, a 64-year-old former bus driver, had irreversible gender reassignment surgery in 1990 having lived life as a woman since 1984.

The Strasbourg judgment unanimously held that the UK's failure to recognise her new identity in law breached her rights to respect for private life and her right to marry under the European Convention on Human Rights.

Goodwin was awarded £14,685 ($22,600) for costs and expenses.

She will be the first person in the United Kingdom since 1968 to have the right to change her birth certificate to that of a woman.

In 1968, the High Court ruled that a person could not change the sex of their birth certificate, overturning a previous right that was taken up by about six people.

'Positive effect'

Transsexuals can change their sex on their driving licences, passports and medical cards.

But Goodwin argued, she could not retire at 60 even though she had paid all her social security contributions because the law continued to treat her as a man.

She had also been unable to bring any sexual harassment action against her employers during the early 1990s because of the same reason.

Goodwin's solicitor, Robin Lewis, told the UK's Press Association on Thursday: "The court has said that the government's stance falls far short of the standards for human dignity and human freedom in the 21st century."

Janett Scott, president of the Beaumont Society -- a self-help group for transsexuals and their families -- said: "This will affect so many of our people in a positive way. We will have civil recognition once and for all.

"The government has said it has been looking into the issue actively since April 2000 but has been dragging its feet.

"Christine Goodwin comes at the end of a long line of people fighting for recognition."