June 19, 2019 | Rosanna Di Grazia
Trans, gender diverse and intersex Victorians wanting to alter the sex recorded on their birth certificate will no longer need to undergo gender affirmation surgery.
The Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Amendment Bill 2019, will be introduced into Parliament this week.
The changes will allow applicants to self-nominate the sex listed in their birth registration as male, female, or any other gender diverse or non-binary descriptor of their own choice.
The Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages will be able to refuse to register a descriptor that is obscene or offensive, or if it is not reasonably established as a sex descriptor.
Children will also be able to apply to alter the sex recorded on their birth certificate, with parental support and a supporting statement from a doctor, registered psychologist or another prescribed person confirming that the decision is in the best interests of the child.
Currently, trans and gender diverse Victorians are forced to ‘out’ themselves whenever a birth certificate is requested, which can cause embarrassment and raise privacy, safety and discrimination concerns.
Overturning the current requirement for an individual to undergo sex affirmation surgery before changing their birth certificate recognises that some trans and gender diverse people are unable to, or choose not to, undergo a serious, expensive and invasive medical procedure.
