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Pennsylvania Democrats propose removing biological sex from birth certificates

The proposed law, according to its supporters, aims to simplify the process of changing "gender identity" which they argue is often hindered by complex "bureaucratic processes."

Gender masculine and femenineCanva

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Two Democratic legislators from Pennsylvania,  Benjamin Sanchez and Joe Webster, introduced a bill proposing to remove the biological sex category from birth certificates. According to them, the goal is to simplify the process of changing "gender identity" without the complications of what they described as complex "bureaucratic processes." 

In a joint memorandum, the representatives stated that measure seeks to "modernize" official documents. According to the lawmakers:

"Bureaucratic hurdles complicate the process of amending government documents, as individuals face discrimination and multiple barriers when changing categories such as their gender. Our legislation would solve this problem by removing that bureaucratic hurdle."

"Sex will still be reported in the U.S. Standard Certificate of Live Birth System, which is used for medical and statistical data collection, therefore, its place on a birth certificate is redundant and unnecessary."

Endorsed by the AMA

Lawmakers also compared this proposal to the past practice of removing race from birth certificates, arguing that it did not impact the primary purpose of these documents: to record birth and place of origin.

Although Democrats have tight control in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, Republicans dominate the state Senate, which could complicate the passage of the proposal. The measure is supported by the American Medical Association (AMA), which backs these ideas. However, the AMA has also endorsed controversial sex-change procedures and surgeries for young people who identify as a different gender, despite ongoing concerns about their potential harm.

"As recommended by the American Medical Association (AMA), removing gender designations on birth certificates will prevent many problems faced by individuals having a different gender identity on this critical document."

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