”The Personal is Political” – Gender, Sexuality and Justice

Language: In Cantonese

Speaker: Prof. Choi Po King, Mr Cho Man Kit

Synopsis

In November 2009, Ms W, a post-operative male-to-female transwoman, was refused marriage with her boyfriend in her post-operative gender. She lodged a judicial review against the decision of the marriage registrar, asking the Court to recognize the right of trans people to marriage. She lost in the Court of First Instance and the Court of Appeal but finally won the case in the Court of Final Appeal by 4 to 1. Throughout the judicial battle that lasted for about 4 years, the visibility of transgender community in the media is greatly increased. The brave coming-out of trans people forces us to reflect on whether they are “only” a gender minority or whether they are actually a lens through which we could examine the very notion of gender itself ? In what way does the lived experience of trans people lead to a concept of justice that values gender diversity? What challenging questions do they pose to gender education that rests on a male vs female framework?