Transgender People Contest NYC Birth-Record Rules
New York City is hit with a lawsuit over current health code.
The Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund is suing New York City, claiming its birth-record rules are discriminatory.
The group says the city makes it too hard for transgender people to change their birth certificates to reflect their gender identity. They say the city is being unfair and intrusive by requiring people to undergo genital surgery before changing the gender on their birth certificates. The TLDEF says 80% of transgender women, and 95% of transgender men haven’t had the surgery required by the city. The group says many transgender people can't have that surgery, and undergoing hormone or other treatment to change gender should be good enough.
Health officials considered changing the policy in 2006, but decided against it.
New York City lawyers say officials are trying to make sure there are checks on changing an important identity document.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
