The New York City Council voted 41-6 on September 12 to add an “x” category to birth certificates for people who are non-binary. The bill was sponsored by Speaker Corey Johnson, an out gay Chelsea Democrat, who said it “will send a powerful signal to the world that New York City government works for everyone.”
Objecting was Councilmember Robert Holden, Democrat of Maspeth, Queens, who told the New York Post it could be “abused” and that it raised “public safety issues.”
Those who wish to change the gender marker on their birth certificates will now be able to do it by presenting a personal affidavit rather than needing a letter from a doctor or an affidavit from a licensed health care practitioner.
