SPAIN TO ALLOW TRANSSEXUAL SOLDIER

Spain’s ministry of defence had agreed to change the military’s rules to allow transsexual soldiers to join the army.

The announcement follows the much-publicised two year battle by a 28-year-old male transsexual to be accepted for service.

Aitor G R, as he has been identified, was born a woman, but had a mastectomy and hormone treatment.

While the Spanish army does recruit women, the military twice rejected his application because he is legally recognised as man and must apply as such; however he has no penis.

This made him medically unfit to serve, the army claimed after he undertook a standard medical exam. He is currently on a waiting list for genital reconstruction surgery.

On Thursday, the defence ministry said that its new guidelines would now no longer bar a male applicant from joining the army because he lacked a penis.