New York City has started 2019 on a high note by passing a law that brings equality to all individuals. Residents of the Big Apple can now state they are gender neutral on their birth certificates. If an individual does not identify as a male or female, they can simply put "x" on their identity cards.
The new move became official Tuesday, January 1st and no longer requires a transgender and non-binary individual to require a letter from a physician to change their gender on their birth certificate. “Although sex assigned at birth is required on birth certificates, the Health Department recognizes that some people’s assigned sex may not be consistent with their gender identity,” the New York City Mayor's Office said in a statement, via Newsweek.
“Transgender and gender non-conforming New Yorkers deserve the right to choose how they identify and to live with respect and dignity. This bold new policy advances the fight for equality and makes our City fairer for all people,” New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio added.
Dr. Oxiris Barbot told the publication that New York has always fostered an open community when it comes to expressing one's gender, but certain institutions never gave people the right to own the gender they identify with most.
"By offering a nonbinary option and a less burdensome way to change one’s gender on their birth certificate, the city is moving in the right direction toward full equality for New Yorkers who have historically been marginalized and ignored," he said.