# Way to go, Argentina! (passes transexuals rights law) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 13, 2012, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-go-argentina-passes-transexuals-rights-law/621773 "2012-05-13T14:24:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2012, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-go-argentina-passes-transexuals-rights-law/621773/1 "2012-05-13T14:24:46Z")
Argentina just passed one of the most advanced laws on transexuals’ rights in the world. This after having become only the second country in the Americas where gay marriage became legal (it isn’t in the whole of the US). > [@](#): > > [From AP](http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/L/LT_ARGENTINA_TRANSGENDER_RIGHTS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT): > Adults who want sex-change surgery or hormone therapy in Argentina will be able to get it as part of their public or private health care plans under a gender rights law approved Wednesday. > > The measure also gives people the right to specify how their gender is listed at the civil registry when their physical characteristics don’t match how they see themselves. > > Senators approved the Gender Identity law by a vote of 55-0 […] Transexuals do not need to undergo any type of treatment before they change their legal identity. I learned from the article that Argentina has an openly-gay congressman, from none other than Tierra del Fuego. If you remember your geography, TDF is the butt end of the world. 😃 I am sure the Vatican is seething right now. That made my coffee taste better this morning. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2012, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-go-argentina-passes-transexuals-rights-law/621773/2 "2012-05-13T15:05:19Z")
Y’know, from the outside it looks like the current Argentine leadership has finally found in “gender issues” policy one area in which they CAN rightfully boast to be the most advanced in Latin America. Kudos. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2012, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-go-argentina-passes-transexuals-rights-law/621773/3 "2012-05-14T01:48:52Z")
I was about to reply with one of the ten gazillion Argentina jokes we all know, but they deserve better this time. 🙂 I am glad they picked this crusade an not any other. ---
**Author:** ![FlyingRat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/59ef9b/32.png) [@FlyingRat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingRat)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2012, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-go-argentina-passes-transexuals-rights-law/621773/4 "2012-05-14T12:57:37Z")
Awesome! This is a happy, happy thing on a Monday morning. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2012, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-go-argentina-passes-transexuals-rights-law/621773/5 "2012-05-14T15:42:11Z")
No dog in this fight…but it seems strange that a government that seems intent on wrecking its relationship with the UK (Falklands Islands nonsense), and Spain (confiscating a private Spanish corporation’s assets), is worried about an issue like this. I’m sure that it will spur investment in Argentina! ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2012, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-go-argentina-passes-transexuals-rights-law/621773/6 "2012-05-14T16:31:50Z")
:rolleyes: because the only thing a government should care about is foreign investors, isn’t it **ralph**?, equals right for it’s own citizens? who needs that?. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2012, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-go-argentina-passes-transexuals-rights-law/621773/7 "2012-05-14T22:47:56Z")
I think this law may go a bit too far. While there are arguably too many hurdles to getting hormone treatment and SRS in the United States, I think there should at least be some minor ones. Other than that > [@](#): > > “This is truly a human right: the right to happiness,” Sen. Miguel Pichetto said during the debate. wow and applause. ---
**Author:** ![PookahMacPhellimey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pookahmacphellimey/32/3175_2.png) [@PookahMacPhellimey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PookahMacPhellimey)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 9:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-go-argentina-passes-transexuals-rights-law/621773/8 "2012-05-15T09:36:30Z")
They’ve legalised gay marriage as well, haven’t they? For a predominantly Catholic country they are surprisingly progressive on these issue. And yes, way to go! ---
**Author:** ![Becky2844](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Becky2844](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Becky2844)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-go-argentina-passes-transexuals-rights-law/621773/9 "2012-05-15T09:53:35Z")
Anything that makes the Pope choke has got to be progressive, he who, personally, relocated sexually abusive priests rather than remove them. Vive le differance! ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-go-argentina-passes-transexuals-rights-law/621773/10 "2012-05-15T11:13:18Z")
> [@PookahMacPhellimey](#): > > They’ve legalised gay marriage as well, haven’t they? For a predominantly Catholic country they are surprisingly progressive on these issue. And yes, way to go! Belgium, Canada, Portugal and Spain are also predominantly Catholic (defining that as “RCC is the religion with the largest amount of followers”): SSM active country-wide. Brazil has a province which performs SSM (recognized by the rest of the country), and others which call it “civil union” but where it can be converted to “marriage” (again recognized countrywide, don’t ask me what the legal differences are); in Mexico a SS couple can only get married in DF but the marriages are recognized country-wide. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-go-argentina-passes-transexuals-rights-law/621773/11 "2012-05-21T05:34:19Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > I think this law may go a bit too far. While there are arguably too many hurdles to getting hormone treatment and SRS in the United States, I think there should at least be some minor ones. That should be between a person and his/her doctor. The government should not have a say, and I am glad Argentina recognized this. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-go-argentina-passes-transexuals-rights-law/621773/12 "2012-05-21T05:43:26Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > I think this law may go a bit too far. While there are arguably too many hurdles to getting hormone treatment and SRS in the United States, I think there should at least be some minor ones. A quick conversation to determine whether the patient is of sound mind and not intoxicated should be all that is required, the realities of complicated and expensive surgery ensure it isn’t a spur of the moment decision(everything has to be set up months in advance).