Knesset allows transgender people to remove 'dead name' from IDs

Transgender people in Israel will no longer need to register their previous name on their ID, after the Interior Ministry amended ID regulations on Monday.

Someone who has undergone gender reassignment will not be obliged to register their 'dead name' - the term for the name a transgender person received at birth before transitioning - after a position was filed by the Justice Ministry to the High Court.

The petition was submitted by Nofar Ashbel, a transgender woman, who requested to replace the male birth name with Nofar, the chosen new name. 

Protection of privacy

Whilst the Population and Immigration Authority approved Ashbel's new name, they denied the request to delete the previous name from the teudat zehut.

Ashbel argued that whoever saw the ID would be therefore aware of the change in gender, which Ashbel argued was a violation in privacy. 

Ashbel subsequently submitted a petition to the High Court of Justice, detailing the gender reassignment and saying that such stipulation forcibly "outs" anyone who has undergone a transition, even if they do not want to people to  know. 

Due to the petition, the ID regulations have changed to ensure privacy for transgender individuals, giving discretion to the Interior Ministry to not include the person's previous name. 

Regarding the ruling, the court said: "there is now no longer a legal reason to not erase a former first name on the ID card if requested by an individual, following a change in gender.""

The lawyers in Tel Aviv who submitted the petition said: "We welcome the amendment of the regulations, which will protect the right to autonomy and the right to privacy of transgender people. It is another significant step on the way to equal rights for the trans community."