Sacramento – Governor Jerry Brown signed into law yesterday Assembly Bill 433, the Vital Statistics Modernization Act, which streamlines the process for Californians to obtain and update birth certificates. The bill was authored by Assemblymember Bonnie Lowenthal (D-Long Beach) and sponsored by the Transgender Law Center and Equality California.
“The government belongs to transgender people as much as it belongs to anyone else,” said Assemblymember Bonnie Lowenthal, D-Long Beach, author of the bill. “California’s records belong to Californians. It’s as simple as that.”
The Vital Statistics Modernization Act brings California law that governs changes to birth certificates, and other identification documents in line with standards set by the United States Department of State for gender changes on passports, alleviating the confusion, anxiety and even danger transgender people often face when seeking changes to identity documents. The law simplifies the current process transgender people must follow to obtain a new birth certificate to reflect their gender, requiring only that transgender individuals receive medical certification from an attending physician that the that they have undergone “clinically appropriate treatment.”
“The Vital Statistics Modernization Act eliminates outdated and onerous barriers that transgender people face when trying to update their IDs,” said Masen Davis, Executive Director of the Transgender Law Center. “Having identity documents that match who we truly are is critical to our ability to work, travel, and thrive. We applaud Governor Brown and our lawmakers for prioritizing the health and safety of transgender Californians”
“Transgender people, like all Californians, deserve to live with dignity and respect,” said Roland Palencia, Executive Director for Equality California. “Something as simple as government recognition of their authentic gender identity is essential to ensuring transgender Californians can pursue their lives without harassment and fear. We applaud Assemblymember Lowenthal and Governor Brown for their leadership and for making California a more fair and equal state for all Californians.”
The Transgender Law Center is at the heart of a movement of transgender people, their families and allies who recognize that our struggles for equality and authentic self-expression are all connected and related.www.transgenderlawcenter.org
Equality California (EQCA) is the largest statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights advocacy organization in California. Over the past decade, Equality California has strategically moved California from a state with extremely limited legal protections for LGBT individuals to a state with some of the most comprehensive civil rights protections in the nation. Equality California has passed more than 80 pieces of legislation and continues to advance equality through legislative advocacy, electoral work, public education and community empowerment. www.eqca.org
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 10, 2011
CONTACTS: Mark Snyder, Transgender Law Center (617) 416-0552; mark@transgenderlawcenter.org
Rebekah Orr, Equality California (415) 498-0847; rebekah@eqca.org
Media Provided by the www.GayWebSource.com – Gay Media and Press Network
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