Couture
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LOS ANGELES A Filipino couple is suing the U-S government, alleging the man was denied permanent U-S residency because his wife is a transsexual.
Experts say it may be the first legal challenge of its kind.
Donita Ganzon was granted citizenship in 1987 -- six years after her sex change operation. She was given a certificate that listed her sex as female.
Her husband, Jiffy Javenella, applied for permanent resident status after the couple married in 2001.
The lawsuit alleges Javenella's application was turned down earlier this year -- within three weeks after Ganzon revealed she'd undergone a male-to-female sex change operation. Javenella now faces deportation.
A government memo cites the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which defined marriage as between a man and a woman, to support its position.
Experts say it may be the first legal challenge of its kind.
Donita Ganzon was granted citizenship in 1987 -- six years after her sex change operation. She was given a certificate that listed her sex as female.
Her husband, Jiffy Javenella, applied for permanent resident status after the couple married in 2001.
The lawsuit alleges Javenella's application was turned down earlier this year -- within three weeks after Ganzon revealed she'd undergone a male-to-female sex change operation. Javenella now faces deportation.
A government memo cites the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which defined marriage as between a man and a woman, to support its position.
