One of the country’s states has joined others in passing a bill to give citizens the discretion to change their gender from one to the other of their choice.
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Australia state passes bill which gives children discretion to choose their preferred gender
Australia is not stopping at anything in ensuring that its citizens have the liberty to choose their gender and change their birth certificates to match same.
Australia passes bill which gives children discretion to choose their preferred gender
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Tasmania, Northern Territory, South Australia and the ACT state already have laws permitting transgender and gender diverse people to decide how to alter their sexes and birth certificates, but Victoria state has just joined in the fray by passing the bill pending royal assent.
The Australian Upper House passed the birth certificate bill on Tuesday, August 27, and once given the royal assent, then Victoria state becomes the fifth state in Australia to have passed such a law.
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The bill reportedly grants children the choice to self-nominate, change their gender or select a non-binary descriptor of their choice with permission from their parents, in addition to a psychologist report.
The Victoria state Attorney-General Jill Hennessy defended the bill, saying it has been long overdue.
"These overdue reforms will ensure that trans and gender diverse people can have a birth certificate which reflects their true identity. It is a small thing to many, but it means a world of difference to someone else.
"These important new laws are about ensuring everyone can live their life as they choose, and that includes having a birth certificate that reflects their true identity."
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Currently one is required to undergo gender reassignment surgery to be able to change a formal name on a legal document such as a birth certificate, reports say.
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