Victoria – The Province has introduced amendments to the Vital Statistics Act.
The bill proposes to amend the Vital Statistics Act in two ways.
In January 2022, the Province made it possible for people 12 and older to change their gender markers on their birth certificates without a physician’s or psychologist’s confirmation. The first amendment will bring the legislation into alignment with the policy implemented last year.
The second proposed amendment will change the requirements in the act for information that must be included on a birth certificate, allowing individuals to request a birth certificate without a gender marker.
These changes build on previous actions to make it easier for people to have their government-issued identification match their gender identities.
“The government is committed to supporting the health and well-being of Two-Spirit, transgender, intersex, non-binary and gender-diverse people and making B.C. a more inclusive province when it comes to gender identity.”
Teri Westerby, Executive Director for Chilliwack Pride and Chilliwack School Trustee: You shouldn’t need a doctor to confirm that you are who you are. These changes drastically reduce barriers for transgender and nonbinary people to ensure their ID matches their identity. This is an excellent move from the province towards self identity and self determination.
FYI:
To learn how to change your gender designation on your birth certificate, visit:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/life-events/birth-adoption/births/birth-certificates/change-of-gender-designation-on-birth-certificates
To learn how to change your gender designation on your other identification documents, visit:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/government-id/bc-services-card/your-card/change-personal-information
