Six-year-old becomes first transgender child in Argentina to change name, gender on official documents
A traffic sign depicting children is pictured at the Benedictine-run Ettal Monastery is pictured in Ettal, Germany. Munich prosecutors opened an investigation into allegations of sexual abuse by priests made by 20 alumni of the Benedictine-run Ettal Monastery school in Bavaria, while a lawyer involved in the case charged that hundreds of boys had been beaten, many of them severely, by staff at the school decades ago.
A six-year-old transgender girl who was born a boy has become the first child in Argentina allowed to change her name and gender on official documents.
Luana, who was born Manuel, is the youngest child to benefit from Argentina's new Gender Identity Law.
Approved in May 2012, the act gives anyone the right to be identified by the name and gender that person chooses.
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"It will be the first case in the world of a girl that gets new documents through an administrative procedure, without having to appeal to Justice," said Cesar Cigliutti, director of the Argentine Homosexual Community group.
The little girl can now put the name of her choice on her Argentine identity card (DNI) and birth certificate.
"The government of the province of Buenos Aires has decided to provide a solution to this particular case raised by the family," said Buenos Aires province Chief of Staff Alberto Perez.
Luana, also known as Lulu, made her first request to change her name and gender on her ID last December, but was denied because of her age.
The decision to now give the child the right to change her name and gender on official documents was made after her mother, Gabriela, wrote to Buenos Aires Governor Daniel Scioli and Argentina President Cristina Kirchner, telling them that her daughter had identified as a girl since she could speak.
The Children, Youth and Family Secretary agreed with Gabriela and ruled that children under 14 were capable of giving consent. The secretary cited international human rights when overturning the initial decision to deny Luana's request.
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