Nova Scotia asked to drop requirement for sex designation change

A person who works with and advocates for young transgender Nova Scotians wants the province to drop a requirement needed to get a change in sex designation on provincial birth certificates and the minister who introduced the bill says he's open to change.

Mark Fureyintroduced Bill 82 in the legislature last week. As it is currently written, anyone who wants the designation changed needs a letter of support from a doctor, nurse, psychologist or social worker.

Kate Shewan thinks that's an unnecessary barrier.

"It would be the equivalent of asking a gay or lesbian person to obtain confirmation of their sexual orientation before permitting them to enter into a same sex marriage," she said.

"The fact that they want to enter into a same sex marriage clearly is proof itself that they are gay or lesbian. Similarly, the fact that a person is applying for a change in sex designation clearly shows that they do not identify at the sex assigned at birth."

Follow Manitoba's lead, says Shewan

Shewan is also concerned the change will only help people born in the province, and not allow people who have moved to Nova Scotia to get provincial documents changed. She suggests Nova Scotia should follow Manitoba's lead.

"What Manitoba has done recently is brought in similar legislation, but they included a clause that created a 'change in gender certificate' which could then be used for updating other documents such as a driver's licence," she said.

"So even if they are unable to update their birth certificate, with this certificate they were able to update their other documents that are issued provincially."

Bill 82 is being sent back to Service Nova Scotia for anotherlook by government lawyers, which Shewan calls encouraging.

Fureysaidhe'sopen to modifying the bill.

"The whole issue of a letter surfaced when government, through due diligence, conducted a jurisdictional scan and other provinces have these components built into the legislation," he said.

"I'll go back to what I said earlier, we will do whatever we can to strengthen the legislation. If this is coming back from Law Amendments, we'll certainly entertain those discussions."