ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York state is no longer requiring transgender people to offer proof of surgery when asking the state to change the gender on their birth certificate.
The state will now issue a new birth certificate if the person provides an affidavit from a medical provider stating that they have received “appropriate” treatment.
The policy change had long been sought by transgender advocates who say an individual’s official gender shouldn’t depend on whether they had a medical procedure.
They say the old rules requiring detailed surgical records made it impossible to get documents like passports and driver licenses because the gender on their birth certificate didn’t match their identity.
The change won’t affect residents of New York City, however, because the city issues its own birth certificates.
Five states have already made similar policy changes.
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