The Deacon's Bench
New Yorkers who don’t identify as male or female may soon be able to reflect that on their birth certificates. City officials want to add a third gender category of “X” to city birth certificates to make them more inclusive.
“This proposal will allow transgender and gender non-conforming New Yorkers to live with the dignity and respect they deserve, and make our City fairer,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a statement.
New York City would join the states of Oregon, California and Washington in allowing a non-binary gender category on official documents if the proposal is ultimately approved.
The city became the first in the nation to put an “intersex” option on birth certificates in 2016. The “X” designation would replace “intersex” if the Department of Health’s new proposal passes.
The proposal would also make it easier for New Yorkers to change their birth certificates to match their gender identity. Current rules require an affidavit from a person’s health care provider change their gender marker, but the new proposal would allow the person to submit their own affidavit.
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