In Ecuador, a father has legally changed his gender to female in order to acquire custody of his daughters.
René Salinas Ramos, 47, disclosed that this transformation is not due to his sexual orientation or gender identity, but rather to Ecuadorian legislation, which provides mothers with preferred rights over fathers when it comes to child custody.
He claimed that his girls are being abused by their mother and that he hasn’t met them in over five months.
Although LGBTQ activists in the country recognize that the man’s actions were motivated by desperation, they are concerned that this case could negatively impact the criteria of some assembly members for the change of sex in transgender people’s identity cards, as the assembly is currently considering a law on the subject.
The activists also explained that the concerned father’s action may not guarantee him the custody of his children either.
