Montana health authorities said transgender people cannot change their birth certificate, ” even if they had an operation ».
Last Monday, the state health department explained, in an emergency order, that it would no longer record the category “gender” on birth certificates, replacing it with the mention of “sex” which can only be changed in rare circumstances »[1].
« Sex is “immutable” », Explains the ordinance. It comes a month after a state judge temporarily blocked enforcement of a law requiring transgender people to have undergone surgery before being allowed to change their “gender” on their birth certificate. Previously, to change this statement, only an affidavit to the health department was required.
In the United States, half of the states, including the District of Columbia, allow transgender residents to change their “gender” designation on their birth certificate, without the need for surgery or Justice decision. Just over a dozen states require surgery.
[1] If sex is misidentified “at birth or if the sex was recorded” wrongly “following a” scribe error ».
Source : Washington Times, Matthew Brown (24/05/2022) – Photo : iStock