New York City Approves Historic Ordinance on Birth Certificates for Transgender People

New York, NY, December 15, 2014 ―Last week, the New York City Council approved an ordinance eliminating barriers for transgender people seeking to change the gender marker on their birth certificates.

“This is another victory for full equality for transgender people in New York City. Not having an ID that matches their gender identity puts transgender people’s lives in danger and makes them susceptible to harassment and discrimination. By streamlining the process for accessing vital government-issued documents that accurately reflect a person’s gender identity, transgender people can more easily access basic things like voting, applying for a job, or going through airport security. We applaud the nation’s most populous city for setting this new standard and look forward to seeing other cities and jurisdictions across the nation implement similar policies,” said National LGBTQ Task Force Deputy Executive Director Rev. Darlene Nipper.

Only fifty-nine percent of transgender people report living with a form of identification that matches their gender identity according to the National Transgender Discrimination Survey published by the National LGBTQ Task Force and the National Center for Transgender Equality. Of those who don’t have an ID that matches their gender identity, forty percent report being harassed, attacked, assaulted, or told to leave when asked to present ID.

–30–

To learn more about the National LGBTQ Task Force, follow us on Twitter: @TheTaskForce.

Media Contacts:

Jorge Amaro
Media and Public Relations Director
(Office) 202.639.6306
(Cell) 213.842.7564
jamaro@thetaskforce.org