MPs recommend easier process to change sex on birth certificate

Radio NZ News 11 August 2018
Family First Comment: The politicians promote ideology over biology, confusion over reality.
“A report released yesterday by the Governance and Administration Committee has recommended that people be able to change the nominated sex on their birth certificate to ‘intersex’ or ‘X’ (unspecified) in line with how they self-identify.”

People wanting to change their birth certificate to reflect their gender identity may soon find it easier under changes recommended by MPs.

A report released yesterday by the Governance and Administration Committee has recommended that people be able to change the nominated sex on their birth certificate to ‘intersex’ or ‘X’ (unspecified) in line with how they self-identify.

The recommendations include removing the current requirement of providing medical evidence.

The select committee has also recommended birth certificate change applications go straight to the Registrar-Generals office rather than through the Family Court as the current Births, Deaths, Marriages and Relationships Registration Act 1995 prescribes.

The committee stated in its recommendation that the current law “was progressive in 1995 but is now outdated and inconsistent with global developments”.

The recommendations have been welcomed by the non-binary, intersex and transgender communities.
READ MORE: https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/363859/mps-recommend-easier-process-to-change-sex-on-birth-certificate

Birth certificate gender changes ‘will protect trans people from being outed’
Stuff co.nz 11 August 2018
A process to make gender changes on birth certificates easier will protect people from being “outed” as transgender, a group representing trans and gender diverse children says.

The Governance and Administration Committee has recommended allowing adults and 16- and 17-year-olds to make a statutory declaration regarding their recorded gender directly to the Registrar-General rather than go through the Family Court.

An updated clause in the act would also enable an eligible child’s guardian to complete a similar statutory declaration on the child’s behalf.

Parents and Caregivers of Transgender and Gender Diverse Children spokeswoman Sharyn Forsyth said: “Given birth certificates are a generally accepted form of identity, being able to amend the gender marker to match their lived identity protects them from being ‘outed’ as transgender.

The Governance and Administration Committee outlined its recommendations regarding the Births, Deaths, Marriages and Relationships Registration Act (BDMRRA)1995 in a report published on Friday.
READ MORE: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/106193691/easier-birth-certificate-gender-changes-protect-trans-people-from-being-outed?cid=app-iPhone

Family First slams ‘disturbing’ birth certificate changes
NewsHub 12 August 2018
Conservative lobby group Family First NZ says a proposed change to birth certificates prioritises “ideology” over biology, calling the change “disturbing”.

The gender listed on someone’s birth certificate might soon be able to be changed with a simple statutory declaration from the person it belongs to, rather than a lengthy process involving the Family Court.

Guardians will also be able to complete a statutory declaration to change a child’s listed gender.

Bob McCoskrie, national director of Family First, said this should not be allowed.

“By choosing your own gender in your birth certificate, the certificates will become an object of unscientific gender ideology and effectively tell medical professionals that they got it wrong at time of birth. Circumstances may change but a historical document should not be able to be changed.”

He also questioned the number of genders that would be allowed.

“Facebook have more than 70, and counting.”

And said “the overwhelming majority” of children “grow out of it” by the time they hit puberty.
READ MORE: https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2018/08/family-first-slams-disturbing-birth-certificate-changes.html

MPs recommend that gender changes to birth certificates be made easier for applicants
NewsTalk ZB 12 August 2018
People will be able to change genders on their birth certificate by way of a statutory declaration, instead of needing confirmation by a judge, under a bill reported back to Parliament.

And they will have options others than male or female – the options of “intersex” or “X (unspecified)” will also be available if Parliament adopts the recommendations of the Governance and Administration Committee on the Births, Deaths, Marriages and Relationships Registration Bill.

Family First objects to the planned changes, saying historical documents should not be allowed to be manipulated by the state or politicians.

National director Bob McCoskrie said politicians wanted to ignore biological reality and, in the process, bring about confusion and ambiguity.

“A birth certificate is a historical record based on fact, not a political tool to further an ideology.

“By choosing your own gender in your birth certificate, the certificates will become an object of unscientific gender ideology and effectively tell medical professional that they got it wrong at the time of birth.”

The changes would render birth certificates meaningless.
READ MORE: https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/politics/mps-recommend-that-gender-changes-to-birth-certificates-be-made-easier-for-applicants/

Bill would make certificate gender changes easier
Otago Daily Times 13 August 2018
People will be able to change genders on their birth certificate by way of a statutory declaration, instead of needing confirmation by a judge, under a bill reported back to Parliament.

Family First objects to the planned changes, saying historical documents should not be allowed to be manipulated by the state or politicians.

Director Bob McCoskrie said politicians wanted to ignore biological reality and, in the process, bring about confusion and ambiguity.

“A birth certificate is a historical record based on fact, not a political tool to further an ideology.

“By choosing you own gender in your birth certificate, the certificates will become an object of unscientific gender ideology and effectively tell medical professional that they got it wrong at the time of birth.”

The changes would render birth certificates meaningless.
READ MORE: https://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/bill-would-make-certificate-gender-changes-easier

MPs recommend that gender changes to birth certificates be made easier for applicants
NZ Herald 12 August 2018
People will be able to change genders on their birth certificate by way of a statutory declaration, instead of needing confirmation by a judge, under a bill reported back to Parliament.

Family First objects to the planned changes, saying historical documents should not be allowed to be manipulated by the state or politicians.

National director Bob McCoskrie said politicians wanted to ignore biological reality and, in the process, bring about confusion and ambiguity.

“A birth certificate is a historical record based on fact, not a political tool to further an ideology.

The changes would render birth certificates meaningless.
READ MORE: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?objectid=12105752&ref=twitter

Birth certificate gender changes would put women and girls in danger, lesbian alliance says
NZ Herald 13 August 2018
A bill that would make it easier for people to change the gender on their birth certificate will put women and girls in danger, the Lesbian Rights Alliance Aotearoa says.

“The recommendation by select committee to remove all safety mechanisms from the legal sex change process puts women and girls in danger. This is not a left-right issue, it’s a ‘do you care about women’s safety?’ issue,” the Lesbian Rights Alliance Aotearoa (LRAA) said in a statement.

If Parliament adopts the recommendations of the Governance and Administration Committee on the Births, Deaths, Marriages and Relationships Registration Bill, people will be able to change genders on their birth certificate by way of a statutory declaration instead of needing confirmation by a judge, under a bill reported back to Parliament.

They will also have options others than male or female – the options of “intersex” or “X (unspecified)” will also be available.
READ MORE: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12106161

Should you be able to change the sex on your birth certificate?
NZ Herald 13 August 2018
For a lot of people, the sex that is on their birth certificate is the gender they identify with.

However, for those who don’t fit that mould, the gender stated in that document can be very life-disrupting.

So should we be able to edit our birth certificates and update them with the sex we do identify with later in life? And do it in a way that is simple and easy?
Many people weighed in on the conversation — with one woman, whose wife is transgender, saying being able to make that change is vital and also telling Sam he needed to “get with the times”.

However, another caller disagreed saying that you shouldn’t be able to change your original birth certificate but instead have another form — similar to when people get married — where the change in gender is noted.
READ MORE: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=12106211