Tasmania’s Upper House on track to pass landmark legislation to make gender optional on birth certificates

  • The amendments will make gender optional on birth certificates and allow 16-year-olds to change their registered gender without parental permission
  • The bill was introduced by the Liberal Government to ensure state marriage laws were in line with federal marriage laws, but opposition parties added contentious amendments
  • The bill will go through a third formal reading in the Upper House before returning to the Lower House for a tick of approval

But the Tasmanian Coalition for Kids expressed “dismay” at changes it described as “radical”.

“Teenagers as young as 16 will be able to change their gender and name without parental consent and without any medical certification,” spokesperson Ben Smith said.

“This step goes well beyond community expectation.”

Mr Smith said the changes had been “rushed” and went against the advice of senior figures including the Solicitor-General and the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages.

“On top of that the Legislative Council has ignored the will of the 70 per cent plus of the Tasmanian people who we know from publicly released polling are against these changes.”

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-04-04/gender-birth-certificate-tasmania-upper-house/10972020

[category Aust, trans]  

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