California Becomes the first US State to allow Gender-neutral Birth Certificates

California, October 17, 2017 : California Governor Jerry Brown has signed a state senate bill, allowing a gender-neutral marker on birth certificates and driver's licenses starting from 2019.

California thus became the first state in the US to allow a "nonbinary" gender to be marked on birth certificates, Xinhua news agency reported.

The so-called "nonbinary" gender means not exclusively male or female or a combination of two or more "genders."

According to the Gender Recognition Act approved on Sunday, California will offer a gender-neutral option on state documents for those who are transgender, intersex and others who are not identified as male or female.

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The law, published on the government official website, also made it easier for people to change their gender identity on official documents.

"Existing law authorises a person who was born in this state and who has undergone clinically appropriate treatment for the purpose of gender transition to obtain a new birth certificate from the State Registrar," the bill read.

The Golden State is now also the second state in the US to allow residents to be identified by a gender marker other than "F" or "M" on their driver's license.

Oregon and the District of Columbia had earlier issued the gender-neutral option on their driver's licenses.