Article 26
personal identity and the free formation of personality based on gender identity
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.34625/issn.2183-2705(38)2025.ic-17Keywords:
personal identity, free formation of personality, gender identity, human dignity, postmodernism, equality, non-discriminationAbstract
This article aims to reflect on Article 26 of the Constitution of the Portuguese Republic, particularly its initial formulation in paragraph 1, concerning the right to personal identity and the free formation of personality. It considers (i) that gender identity comprises both psychological and sociopolitical elements of a post-modernist nature, with manifestations in individuals' daily lives; (ii) that this issue is grounded in the fundamental principle of human dignity; and (iii) that personal identity and the free formation of personality can only be fully ensured through a constitutional interpretation based on the primacy of freedom and positive equality (non-discrimination), which entails recognizing gender identity as a protected legal interest. Accordingly, the article explores the interpretive possibility of including gender identity within the scope of fundamental rights, despite its absence from explicit constitutional enumeration, by invoking the constitutional principle of human dignity as a non-derogable and overarching norm.
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