New Jersey Officially Adds ‘Gender-Neutral’ Option To Birth Certificates

In a move that has since gained a lot of public reaction, New Jersey has recently introduced a gender-neutral option to birth certificates. According to reports, the new law officially starts getting implemented February 1 and so parents now have the choice to register their newborns as male, female, or undesignated/nonbinary.

Apparently, New Jersey isn’t even the first state in the United States to introduce such a change as it joins California, Oregon, Washington, and New York City. The new bill aims to expand on the state’s transgender rights.

As a Unilad article further tells us:

“Parents in the Garden State now have the option to gender their child at birth or not, with three options appearing on certificates come February.

“The change will also make it easier for non-binary and transgender people to change their birth certificates to affirm their gender identity, without having the burden of proof of gender reassignment surgery put upon them.

“For these individuals, the difficulties of identifying in a way not recognized by the state in accordance with your birth certificate will hopefully, mercifully, be over.”

The legislation, called the Babs Siperstein Law, has been named after the first elected transgender member of the Democratic National Committee.

New York Transgender Advocacy Group director of policy and programs Amanda Babine commented:

“Having a gender-neutral option will now give thousands of people in the state of New Jersey the power to self-identify. We find this choice to determine their own identity leads to an increase in well-being for the individual and a push towards creating more inclusive communities.”

Meanwhile, netizens have different opinions about the subject.

Someone shared:

“As a transgender person, I’ve never been excited to fill out forms in my entire life. Good job, New Jersey!”

Another woman wrote:

“And women don’t realize how hurt we will be by this? Men in women’s sports, men in women’s bathrooms and locker rooms, men sharing college dorm rooms with our daughters, men in women’s prisons….etc.”

What do you think, folks? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section.