ID joy for transgender Tse

Henry Edward Tse, a transgender activist who did not go through full sex reassignment surgery, says he is relieved after collecting his new Hong Kong identity card on which the gender has been changed - seven years after lodging a judicial review that has "great significance" for him and his supporters.

Tse, who was born female, is the first in the city to have their gender changed on their ID - for which individuals who have not undergone full surgery are now allowed after the government relaxed the threshold this month.

Tse's change application was rejected in 2017, spurring him to file a judicial review the same year.

The Court of Final Appeal ruled in his favor in February last year but the government did not take action until he filed a second judicial review last month against the delay.

Speaking to the media after collecting his new ID card at the Immigration Tower in Wan Chai, Tse said he is relieved that the "judicial marathon" has come to an end after seven years.

"The new ID card is of great significance to me and my supporters as it can finally solve all kinds of embarrassment and problems caused by a wrong ID card," he said. "[Transgender people] can finally have the rights that normal people have always been entitled to."

Tse said he would change the gender on his passport and bank accounts immediately after collecting the new ID.

"Every time I went to the bank and they called me Miss Tse, everyone would stare at me. It's similar when I visited doctors as nurses would ask: 'Is it you?' It happened every time and now these problems will finally be resolved," he said. "I will take care of my documents and update my HK passport and bank account information immediately so that they would no longer call me Miss Tse."

Tse said he would go on with his second judicial review to hold the Immigration Department accountable for the delay in changing its policy.

He said transgenders are still not being treated equally under the current ID-changing arrangement as they are subjected to random blood checks to test their hormonal profile.

They also have to report to the department within 30 days if they change their address or phone number, Tse said

wallis.wang@singtaonewscorp.com