Democrats Seek Removal of Sex Designation from Pennsylvania Birth Certificates

[Geee]

Pennsylvania Daily Star

 

Pennsylvania state Reps. Benjamin Sanchez (D-Abington) and Joe Webster (D-Collegeville) are planning to introduce a bill to remove male and female designations from Pennsylvania birth certificates.

The two Montgomery-County lawmakers say their proposal would not affect notations of biological sex on the U.S. Standard Certificate of Live Birth system that is used to gather medical and other statistics.

“Someone’s gender identity is a personal journey,” Sanchez and Webster wrote in a memorandum encouraging colleagues to cosponsor their legislation. “Many people struggle with the decision to come out about their gender identity in light of a society that has been slow to recognize transgender people as deserving of equal rights and respect. Unfortunately, bureaucratic roadblocks such as changing information on one’s birth certificate make this process even more complicated as transgender people face discrimination and multiple barriers when changing their sex on government documents.”