International Gender Bill of Rights

Source: “The Individual’s Right to Define Gender Identity”

from “The Apartheid of Sex, a Manifesto on the Freedom of Gender,” Martine Rothblatt

Note: These rights were publicly approved and adopted by the Second International Conference on Transgender Law and Employment Policy, August 28, 1993, Southwest Hilton Hotel, Houston, Texas.

All human beings carry within themselves an ever-unfolding idea of who they are and what they are capable of achieving. The individual’s sense of self is not determined by chromosomal sex, genitalia, assigned birth sex, or initial gender role. Thus the individual’s identity and capabilities cannot be circumscribed by what society deems to be masculine or feminine behavior.

It is fundamental that individuals have the right to define, and to redefine as their lives unfold, their own gender identity, without regard to chromosomal sex, genitalia, assigned birth sex, or initial gender role.

The Right to Free Expression of Gender Identity

Given the right to define one’s own gender identity, all human beings have the corresponding right to free expression of their self-defined gender identity.

The Right to Control and Change One’s Own Body

All human beings have the right to control their bodies, which includes the right to change their bodies cosmetically, chemically, or surgically, so as to express a self-defined gender identity.

The Right to Competent Medical and Professional Care

Given the individual right to define one’s gender identity, and the right to change one’s own body as a means of expressing a self-defined gender identity, no individual should be denied access to competent medical or other professional care on the basis of chromosomal sex, genitalia, assigned birth sex, or initial gender role.

The Right to Freedom from Psychiatric Diagnosis or Treatment

Given the right to define one’s own gender identity, individuals should not be subject to psychiatric diagnosis or treatment solely on the basis of their gender identity or role.

The Right to Sexual Expression

Given the right to a self-define gender identity, every consenting adult has a corresponding right to free sexual expression.

The Right to Form Committed, Loving Relationships and Enter into Marital Contracts

Given that all human beings have the right to free expression of a self-defined gender identity, and the right to sexual expression as a form of gender expression, all human beings have a corresponding right to form committed, loving relationships with one another and to enter into marital contracts, regardless of either partner’s chromosomal sex, genitalia, assigned birth sex, or initial gender role.

The Right to Conceive or Adopt Children; the Right to Nurture and Have Custody of Children and Exercise of Parental Rights

Given the individual’s right to form a committed, loving relationship with another, and to enter into marital contracts with another, together with the right to sexual expression of one’s gender identity, all individuals have a corresponding right to conceive or adopt children, to nurture children and to have custody of children, and to exercise parental rights with respect to children, natural or adopted, without regard to chromosomal sex, genitalia, assigned birth sex, or initial gender role.