Canberrans as young as 16 would be able to change the gender on their birth certificate without their parent's consent under proposed new laws.
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ACT justice minister and Greens leader Shane Rattenbury and advocates say the planned changes will help to tackle the bullying and discrimination that young transgender, intersex and gender diverse Canberrans can be exposed to when asked to show official documents.
Under the government's proposed laws, which Mr Rattenbury presented to the ACT Legislative Assembly on Thursday morning, 16 year olds would be able to apply directly to Access Canberra to change the gender listed on their birth certificate.
Under the existing regime, a child needs the support of their parents, who are then required to make an application to the registrar-general.
The need for parental consent is seen as obstacle for young people seeking to have their lived gender legally recognised.
The proposed new law would allow children as young as 12 to ask the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal for special permission to apply to have their birth certificate amended. The tribunal would have to determine if the children was capable of making the decision to change their legally recognised gender themselves.
Mr Rattenbury's bill doesn't change the existing requirements regarding hormone treatment or other medical treatments for gender dysphoria.
The move has the backing of A Gender Agenda, a group which advocates for members of Canberra's intersex, trans and gender diverse community.
The organisation's health promotion officer, Tate McAllister, said it was important for people who had transitioned to be able to have legal recognition of the "gender that they live their lives in".
"You can imagine going for a job or applying for TAFE and you might live in the world as a man, but if they have documentation that identifies them as female then that opens them up to discrimination, potential stigma and potential bullying," Mr McAllister said.
Neither Mr Rattenbury nor Mr McAllister expected large numbers of people would take advantage of the new laws.
"This will affect a small number of people, but it is really life changing for them," Mr McAllister said.
Dan Jervis-Bardy
Dan covers federal politics from Parliament House, with a special focus on climate policy and the NDIS. He has previously reported on ACT politics and urban affairs since joining the Canberra Times in 2018.
Dan covers federal politics from Parliament House, with a special focus on climate policy and the NDIS. He has previously reported on ACT politics and urban affairs since joining the Canberra Times in 2018.
