Ryan Scout_FTM

Good news for individuals who have birth certificates from the state of Illinois. There has been a new decree approved which states that transgender individuals can obtain a new birth certificate without undergoing GENITAL reconstruction surgery. (It appears they will still require “some form of surgery”). 

This appears to be the same type of policy that is in place in Nebraska. For a person to change their birth certificate in Nebraska they need a notarized letter from their surgeon stating that they have “successfully completed irreversible sex reassignment surgery” what that surgery is, does not need to be state in the letter.

It appears that the Illinois Department of Public Health is leaving the decision of what should constitute a gender change on a birth certificate up to the Individual’s physician, “The IDPH is now prohibited from denying applicants for new Illinois birth certificates who seek to change to change their gender marker solely because they have not had genital reconstruction surgery, but there is still a requirement for a different type of surgery to be performed. The specifics of the required procedures are left up to the individual’s physician, according to Melaney Arnold, Public Health Communications, Illinois Department of Public Health shortly after the agreement was reached in July.

This is a step forward for many transgender people who cannot afford the genital reconstruction therapy or do not feel the need to undergo such a procedure. However, the other procedures that may fit the state’s criteria may be just as invasive to some, including double mastectomy, hysterectomy, orchiectomy [removal of testicles], or facial feminization surgeries.

Ultimately, the decision will come down to the individual’s physician, according to IDPH.”

This to me means that people who have a great relationship with a trained physician will have an easier time getting their bc changed vs someone who is in a rural area or has a physician that is more strict and/or black and white when it comes to how they view a transgender identity and gender change. 

I’m interested to hear people’s experiences with this new change. 

The article that I received information from can be found here: http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2012/10/24/1080691/illinois-relaxes-requirements-for-transgender-identity-documentation/?mobile=nc