European Court Rules EU States Must Recognize Gender Changes Obtained in Other Bloc Countries

The European Union's top court has ruled that EU member states must recognize a change of first name and gender obtained in other countries within the bloc. This decision was made in response to a case involving a British-Romanian transgender man who obtained legal recognition of his male gender identity in the UK, but was refused recognition by Romanian authorities. The court found that refusing to recognize and enter a change of gender in a person's birth certificate is contrary to EU law, which guarantees free movement and citizenship rights among member states. The court stated that "gender, like a first name, is a fundamental element of personal identity" and therefore must be recognized and respected.