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Not had surgery but want to change your birth certificate?
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Have you had trouble amending your sex or gender on your documents?
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Feeling discriminated against by bureaucracy and red tape over sex or gender?
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Had a bad experience filling in forms?
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Do your government records note an incorrect sex or gender?
Sex Files: the legal recognition
of sex in documents and government records
17 March 2009
The sex and gender diversity project developed out of consultations with members of sex and gender diverse communities about the discrimination they experience. One of the key human rights concerns was that many people who are sex and gender diverse are unable to change the sex markers in official documents or government records, for example birth certificates.
This paper identifies some problems with the existing systems for recognising sex identity in documents and government records. It also makes recommendations for changing the system and provides options for implementing these changes.
- View the paper
- Media Release: Sex and gender: not always a simple key to identification (17 March 2009)
- Launch speeches (17 March 2009)
Blog closed
The legal recognition of sex and the ability of people who are sex and gender diverse to amend their documents and records was the most pressing issue raised during consultations of the sex and gender diversity project.
The Commission created an online blog to involve the sex and gender diverse community in the development of recommendations regarding the legal recognition of sex. The blog closed on 5 December. However, you can access past posts on the blog here.
Other resources
- Initial Proposal for reforming the current system of the legal recognition of sex (September 2008)
- Sex and gender diversity terminology
- Criteria for changing sex or gender
- Australian Human Rights Commission consultation on sex and gender diversity (July 2008)
- Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex Equality page
- Yogyakarta Principles
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