A Lebanese judge told AFP on Wednesday that he has allowed a transgender woman to update her personal status record and change her gender, a rare move in a country where LGBTQ issues remain highly taboo.

Lebanon has never been a safe haven for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer people, but the community has long been visible and outspoken, defying crackdowns on its bars, nightclubs and community centers.

Lebanese law stipulates that official documents may be changed by a judge to represent a person’s reality.

Judge Wassim Zahreddine said he based his ruling on a decision by Beirut’s court of appeals in 2016 that said a transgender man had the right to change his name and gender on his legal records.

“I acted out of conviction, I applied the law, and out of my own humanity,” judge Wassim Zahreddine told AFP by phone.

His ruling to approve the change may still be appealed.