The Taipei and Kaohsiung city governments now allow residents to attach a sticker to their ID cards that specifies their gender identity, an LGBTQ+ association said on Thursday, which was International Transgender Day of Visibility.
The decision, which gives transgender people an opportunity to formalize their identity, was made by the two city governments in collaboration with the Taiwan Tongzhi Hotline Association, one of its members told a news conference.
The stickers can be obtained at household registration offices, city hospitals and other major medical facilities in Taipei, and at district offices in Kaohsiung, said Olivia Tsai (蔡瑩芝), an executive member of the association.
Photo: CNA
The stickers, which can be attached to any form of national ID card, indicate whether the bearer wants to be identified as “mister,” “miss” or only by their name, association secretary-general Sean Du (杜思誠) said.
The initiative was announced on International Transgender Day of Visibility to educate the public about the daily struggles of transgender people and to pay tribute to their courage, Du said.
A transgender individual at the event named Alice said that transgender people endure pain and pressure on a daily basis, particularly when they are referred to by the wrong pronoun.
The stickers are meant to correct that, Alice said, adding that the public should start asking people how they would like to be addressed to avoid offending the transgender community.
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