Fridae

Taiwan's revised military-service rules still allow trans women to qualify for exemptions. Taiwan Tongzhi (LGBTQ+) Hotline Association welcomed that outcome in a statement dated 4 November, posted on 5 November.

An earlier proposal would have moved some trans women into alternative service, the group said. Hotline worked with medical associations and other community groups and raised the issue at government meetings. Hotline said the prospect of entering the existing military system had caused anxiety among trans women whose identity documents had not been changed.

The rules took effect on 28 October. Item 189 of the official classification table, which includes gender dysphoria, lists exemption for people diagnosed under that category for at least a year, those who have had gender-affirming surgery, or those who have registered a legal gender change. A diagnosis of less than a year leaves the classification undetermined.

For the diagnostic route, the table requires a psychiatrist's diagnosis and a psychological assessment report.

Hotline welcomed the removal of wording that labelled the category an abnormality. It said it would keep watching how the rules work in practice, including privacy protection and unnecessary medical demands.