Transgender people will be able to change their sex without surgery after NT parliament passes new bill
- A new law means people in NT can change their gender without having surgery
- Birth certificates can be changed and parents can change identity of their kids
- Bill was passed on Thurs by legislative assembly where Labor holds the majority
- Attorney-general said after same-sex marriage vote, changes ‘needed in the NT’
The Northern Territory parliament has passed laws allowing people to change their gender without sex reassignment surgery.
People will be able change the gender on their birth certificates to male, female, and other non-binary and intersex identities.
Parents will be able to change the sex identity of their children.
The Northern Territory parliament has passed laws allowing people to change their gender without sex reassignment surgery
NT Attorney-General Natasha Fyles said the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2018 made the Territory more compliant with the Sex Discrimination Act.
‘Australians voted last year to allow same-sex marriage so there are consequential amendments needed in the NT,’ said NT Attorney-General Natasha Fyles
‘Australians voted last year to allow same-sex marriage so there are consequential amendments needed in the NT,’ she said.
The bill was passed on Thursday night by the legislative assembly, where Labor holds 18 of the 25 seats.
Independent MP Robyn Lambley and deputy CLP opposition leader Lia Finocchiaro have questioned why such a significant bill was passed after only 30 days of committee scrutiny.
The laws also remove the requirement for a person to be unmarried to register a change of sex.
Previously, transgender people couldn’t change the gender on their birth certificate without being forced to divorce their spouse, said Lee Carnie, senior lawyer for the Human Rights Law Centre, which was involved in the legislation.
The bill was passed at the NT parliament on Thursday night by the legislative assembly, where Labor holds 18 of the 25 seats