Married Queenslanders undergoing gender reassignment will no longer have to get divorced to have their gender recognised under proposed legislative changes.
Attorney-General Yvette D'Ath on Wednesday introduced amendments to existing laws which require anyone who has undergone sexual reassignment surgery to divorce their partner in order to be legally recognised.
Ms D'Ath said existing legislation was unfair and had forced people to make a choice between their marriage and legal recognition of their gender.
The restriction was the result of the definition of marriage prior to same-sex marriage being legalised last year.
It had caused significant anguish among gender diverse Queenslanders and was now simply outdated.
"It is unjust and unfair that some members of our community are forced to face the distressing decision of choosing between their marriage and the legal recognition of their gender identity," she said.
Changes to the law were an important step towards ensuring all people's gender was respected, the attorney-general added.
The government is considering making additional amendments after marriage equality laws passed last year.
