Iran may allow trans marriage

Iran is set to allow a woman to marry a trans man, in what is thought to be a first for the country.

According to the Guardian, the woman, known only as Shaghayegh, told Tehran’s family court she wanted to marry her best friend from school, who recently underwent gender reassignment to become male.

Under the country’s laws, a woman must gain permission from her father to marry. Her father initially refused but has now said he will permit the marriage if her partner Ardashir has a medical examination to prove the relationship will be that of a typical male-female couple.

Although homosexuality is illegal and many gays are persecuted, the country takes a much different approach to gender dysphoria. Under Islamic law, trans people are deemed religiously permissible and the country carries out the second highest number of gender reassignment surgeries in the world, after Thailand.

Shaghayegh told the court she and Ardashir had been together since they were teenagers. He transitioned after the pair finished university.

Her father said he had at first refused to allow the marriage out of a fear of being humiliated but had been moved by his daughter’s insistence.