NCTE Policy Brief: Birth Certificate Gender Markers
http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/19506/ncte-policy-brief-birth-certificate-gender-markers (http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/19506/ncte-policy-brief-birth-certificate-gender-markers)
6/23/11
Autumn Sandeen
A birth certificate is an important document used to prove one's identity and citizenship. For those who can afford one, a passport can serve the same purposes. However, the ability to change one's sex designation on birth certificates remains an important issue for many transgender people. As lawyers at Lambda Legal point out, states have varying procedures for updating these documents, and a few actually prohibit changing the gender marker on birth certificates.
Many states model their policies for amending birth certificates on the Model Vital Statistics Act and Regulations (or Model Law). Currently being revised, the Model Law is developed by consultation between the state and federal governments and was last updated in 1992. The Model Law is intended to be a guide for states, so that states can model their own vital statistics laws and regulations after its suggestions.