Malaysia's Court of Appeal ruled Friday that transgender Muslims have a right to cross-dress.
The three-judge panel ruled that Section 66 of the Syariah Criminal (Negri Sembilan) Enactment 1992, which "criminalizes any man who dresses or poses as a woman," is unconstitutional, according to The Raykat Post.
The judges ruled that clothing is "a form of expression," which is guaranteed by Malaysia's constitution. They added that Malaysia's state legislative assemblies, including Negri Sembilan, "have no power to restrict freedom of speech and expression."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The Seremban High Court had previously dismissed the case of the plaintiffs, three transgender Muslims who were born male. They then appealed to the Court of Appeal to challenge the law's constitutionality. --Meghan DeMaria
Iframe Code
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstancesSpeed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governorSpeed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditionsSpeed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billionSpeed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on recordSpeed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homesSpeed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creatureSpeed Read
