After more than 10 years of advocacy from community-led organizations, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has finally removed the requirement of surgery for changing the gender marker on a birth certificate. This is a huge victory.
Since we opened our doors in 2002, SRLP has worked to remove this requirement. We litigated, organized, educated, testified, and collaborated. Now our community members can get a birth certificate with their correct gender without having to have expensive, hard-to-get, invasive, or in some cases unwanted surgeries. This change would not have been possible without the support of an impressive majority of City Council, led by City Council Member Corey Johnson, as well as a dedicated coalition of LGB and transgender advocates and organizations, including Melissa Sklarz, Corey Johnson, the Audre Lorde Project, Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund, Empire State Pride Agenda, New York Civil Liberties Union, LGBT Center, Public Advocate Letitia James, and Lambda Legal.
To see SRLP’s work on birth certificate policy since 2002, visit: http://srlp.org/new-york-birth-certificates/
Please see the attached press release for more information: http://www.prideagenda.org/news/2014-12-08-new-york-city-council-passes-birth-certificate-modernization-bill
Thank you for all of your help and support in making this possible!
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