BY BTL STAFF
NEW YORK – A New York City Council approved an ordinance last week eliminating barriers for transgender people seeking to change the gender marker on their birth certificates.
Only 59 percent of transgender people report living with a form of identification that matches their gender identity, according to a National Transgender Discrimination Survey published by the National LGBTQ Task Force and the National Center for Transgender Equality. Of those who do not have an ID matching their gender identity, 40 percent report being harassed, attacked, assaulted or told to leave when asked to present ID.
"This is another victory for full equality for transgender people in New York City. Not having an ID that matches their gender identity puts transgender people's lives in danger and makes them susceptible to harassment and discrimination. By streamlining the process for accessing vital government-issued documents that accurately reflect a person's gender identity, transgender people can more easily access basic things like voting, applying for a job or going through airport security. We applaud the nation's most populous city for setting this new standard and look forward to seeing other cities and jurisdictions across the nation implement similar policies," said National LGBTQ Task Force Deputy Executive Director Rev. Darlene Nipper.
