According to a bold new idea, Queensland parents may soon have the choice to exclude the gender of their child off the birth certificate.
The titles “mother” and “father” might also be optional, it was explained to two women’s groups earlier this month when the proposal’s specifics were reviewed with them.
People would also be permitted to change their gender once every 12 months, and they could select any descriptor for their gender on the document as long as it didn’t contain any offensive language, numbers, symbols, or other descriptors that were “contrary to the public interest” or offensive language.
Women present at the meeting told the Courier Mail that anyone over 16 would be allowed to self-identify as another gender as long as they got a letter of support from someone they had known for at least a year.
Those between the ages of 12 and 16 could identify as a different gender with the support of one or both parents, whereas children under 12 would at the very least need both.
Legal backing and evidence from pediatric health professionals may also be required.
In order to change a person’s gender on their birth certificate, both NSW and Queensland require surgery; however, this may change in the Sunshine State.
Kelly Carr, a Meanjin delegate for International Women’s Day in Brisbane, said she found it difficult to comprehend the changes that were being suggested.
She said, “As a mother, I almost fell off my chair when I learned that using mother on the birth certificate was optional.”
The reforms under consideration, according to a spokesman for the Queensland Department of Justice and Attorney-General, would “increase acknowledgment for trans and gender diverse people.”
The representative added that although “mother” and “father” will still appear on birth certificates, alternative options would be provided.
The statement read, “Consideration is being given to new possibilities to enable same-sex couples to register as mother/mother or father/father, if they desire to.”
“If this adjustment were to be implemented, Queensland would be in line with other jurisdictions.”