Category X Birth Certificates: NYC May Add Gender Option

Could a new "Category X" gender option soon appear on New York City birth certificates?

A new proposal expected to be introduced Thursday seeks to allow residents not identifying their gender as either male or female to choose a third category on birth documentation, Time magazine reported.

Currently, new parents who do not want to identify the sex of their newborn can leave the gender as undetermined, but under the proposal, the new "X" category could be added to birth certificates by adults.

The proposal comes at a significant time, with June being LGBTQ Pride Month.

Mayor Bill de Blasio noted that this was a "time to celebrate how far we've come in the fight for equality, and re-affirm our commitment to protecting all New Yorkers from discrimination," Time reported.

The proposal, he said, would allow "transgender and gender non-conforming New Yorkers to live with the dignity and respect they deserve."

City Council Speaker Corey Johnson added that the proposal was about "making it easier for people to be who they truly are and letting them know that New York City understands them and has their backs."

Campaigns to include non-binary gender options on legal documents have gained momentum over the past few months, with California, Oregon and Washington at the forefront, having already introduced the third category on birth certificates.

Last month a filmmaker, Joshua M. Ferguson, became Ontario's first resident to be issued a nonbinary birth certificate featuring an "X" instead of an "M" or "F," NBC News noted.

Last year Canada also introduced a third gender option on passports and other government documents while California added a third gender on official state identification documents.

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