I'd thought this law had come in ages ago because I'd heard of people having problems for ages. But from as much as I hear about this coming in now, I guess they must have been specific cases (or rotten luck).

What's the point, anyway? I mean, I can see the obvious issues of getting a name and appearance accurate on a passport, but why the gender?

The article doesn't say: Does this apply to post- and pre-operational people?