Japan Supreme Court Declares “Sterilization” Constitutional; Required Before Legal Recognition Of Gender Change

The Supreme Court of Japan has declared a Japanese law constitutional that requires people who seek legal recognition of their gender change to first undergo surgical sterilization.

The Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports that the court ruling "was intended to prevent 'problems' in parent-child relations that could lead to societal 'confusion' and 'abrupt changes' in society." AFP further reports that the court "acknowledged 'doubts'" whether its decision reflected "changing social values, but said the law was constitutional."