Go Ad Free

Queenslanders can now retroactively change the gender on their birth certificate without undergoing gender-change surgery, following recent legislative changes.

Nearly 250 residents, including 11 children, have applied since the new law, the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 2023, took effect on June 24.

The updated law removes the previous requirement for sexual reassignment surgery to officially register a change of gender. It also shockingly permits parents or the Children's Court to apply for gender changes for children under 16.

In the first month, 247 applications were filed, with 142 already processed. Most completed applications were for male-to-female changes, followed by female-to-male, and a small number for other gender terms.

Additionally, the law now allows two same-sex parents or simply the term 'parent' to be listed on a child's birth certificate, though fewer than ten applications have been submitted for this provision.

Emily Wells, 61, from Tennant Creek, was among the first to apply under the new law.

"It's really hard to explain the euphoria. To me, it's corrected something that was done wrong 60 years ago," Wells told the Courier Mail. After years of trying to officially change his gender, Wells received an amended birth certificate on July 5.

"When I got the certificate, it finally meant that I have that last piece of legal document that confirms who I am," he said, adding that his campaign was driven by a desire to 'help future generations of trans people.'

Equality Australia’s CEO, Anna Brown, claimed that Queensland was slow to eliminate "cruel and outdated" identification barriers.

"The fact that hundreds of people have already applied to change their birth certificate to reflect who they really are shows how important this is to some people and how long they have waited," Brown said.