These Law Reforms Will Make Life Easier For Transgender Victorians

Last week the Victorian Government introduced a bill into parliament. It’s a small change in the law, but it will create a profound difference for transgender and gender-diverse Victorians.

Currently, transgender and gender-diverse Victorians must undergo sex affirmation surgery before changing gender on their birth certificate.

Those who do not undergo this serious, expensive and invasive procedure are forced to “out” themselves whenever a birth certificate is requested.

This can cause embarrassment and raise privacy, safety and discrimination concerns.

The Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Amendment Bill 2019 will allow applicants to self nominate the sex listen in their birth registration as a descriptor of their own choice.

This is an important step forward in achieving equality for the LGBT community, which is thriving in my electorate of Geelong.

I chose to share a number of stories from my constituents in parliament about how this law reform will impact them, which you can watch above.