Transsexuals will no longer need to get surgery or take hormone drugs to change their official gender under a new WA Labor Party policy.
Anyone could change their gender with a simple application form, under the proposal unanimously approved at the state’s ALP conference on Sunday.
A third gender category would also be included on all official forms and processes called ‘X’, standing for ‘not specified’.
Those seeking to change their gender, as it appeared on birth certificates, drivers licences and other official documents, currently must apply to the Gender Reassignment Board.
Transsexuals will no longer need to get surgery or take hormone drugs to change their official gender under a new WA Labor Party policy (pictured is the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras)
Anyone could change their gender with a simple application form, under the proposal unanimously approved at the WA’s ALP conference (pictured) on Sunday
A third gender category would also be included on all official forms and processes called ‘X’, standing for ‘not specified’ (pictured is the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras)
The government body judges whether a sex change was legitimate and issues certificates if approved, which are needed for gender change applications.
Jonathon Mann, chairman of LGBTI lobby group Rainbow Rights, put forward the motion arguing the invasive requirements were outdated.
‘This is a huge win for trans people in WA, the mere act of being recognised by the state should not be a process that is expensive, dangerous and just outright humiliating,’ he told Daily Mail Australia.
‘The board judges trans people by a very high standard to see if they deem their transition as legitimate, it’s incredibly degrading.
Those seeking to change their gender, as it appeared on birth certificates, drivers licences and other official documents, currently must apply to the Gender Reassignment Board (pictured is the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras)
‘This is about giving people their dignity and allowing them to be who they are.’
The software engineer and Labor Party volunteer received enthusiastic applause from the packed conference room in Perth.
‘I’m so proud to have had such support on this, I had big burly union leaders coming up to me after telling me that “it was magic” and “bloody brilliant”,’ he said.
‘I didn’t quite expect that, but then what else would you expect from the mighty trade union movement, from people who spend their lives standing up for others and their rights?
Mr Mann said gender reassignment surgery was expensive and dangerous, and not always available in WA.
(pictured is the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras)
Jonathon Mann (pictured), software engineer and Labor Party volunteer, received enthusiastic applause from the packed conference room in Perth
‘It’s going to be a transformative change for people transitioning. The current process is degrading and it is stopping trans people who can’t afford the surgery from being recognised under state law,’ he said.
Mr Mann was supported at the conference by Katrina Montaut, who shared the experience of a close friend Jack who was denied by the board.
‘He is still a woman as far as the state is seeing… he has to jump over a bar that is insurmountable,’ she told the room, according to Out In Perth.
‘He drives around in his banged-up ute, with his long beard, and if he gets pulled over, they’ll check his licence – he’s a woman.’
Gender reassignment surgery was expensive and dangerous, and not always available in WA (pictured is the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras)
Queensland’s Australian of the Year nominee Catherine McGregor (pictured), a military strategist for the Australian Defence Force, began her male to female transition in 2012
Approval by bi-annual state conference meant it was now official WA Labor policy and WA Premier Mark McGowan was obliged to implement it through parliament.
The motion passed at the conference read: ‘WA Labor will abolish the Gender Reassignment Board and will allow transgender people to change the gender marker in their official identity papers to their preferred gender on written request and without the need for hormones and/or surgery.’
Victoria is the only state in Australia that allows gender reassignment with only a statutory declaration signed by a witness, while South Australia requires three counselling sessions a a letter form a doctor.
NSW, Queensland, and Victoria all require sex change surgery for a change of gender application to be successful.
2016 Australian of the Year finalist for Queensland, Catherine McGregor (pictured at an exhibition launch)