Supporting the rights of trans people to self-identify their legal gender

Inner West Council has welcomed a petition calling for law reform. 

In March 2022, Inner West Council voted unanimously on a motion calling for Government to introduce law reform enabling trans and gender diverse people to self-nominate their legal gender without medical intervention.

Transgender people in NSW are currently required to have "undergone a sex affirmation procedure" and appear before a review panel in order to change their birth certificate.

The process of forcing trans people to prove their identity to a Gender Recognition Panel has been described as "humiliating, outdated and unnecessary".

Council endorses a petition currently open for signing via the NSW Legislative Assembly, which states that current the requirements in NSW unnecessarily medicalise the recognition of a person’s lived identity. In addition, the petition notes that surgery is not always appropriate for trans people and can be inaccessible and unaffordable as Medicare does not cover it.

The legislation in NSW is also out-of-step with other jurisdictions.

The petition asks the Legislative Assembly to call on the Government to introduce an Act and/or amendment equivalent to the Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Amendment of 2019.

Inner West Council supports the rights of trans and gender diverse people to self-identify their legal gender without medical intervention or humiliating review.

NSW residents can sign the e-petition here

Source/further info: www.parliament.nsw.gov.au