Puerto Rico federal court allows ‘X’ as a third gender choice on birth certificates

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Activists on Monday celebrated a decision by Puerto Rico’s federal district court to allow nonbinary and gender-nonconforming people to update their birth certificates.

The ruling comes after a group of six nonbinary people filed a lawsuit against Puerto Rico’s governor, its health secretary and other officials.

The ruling means that nonbinary and gender-nonconforming people will now be able to select ‘X’ as their gender marker on birth certificates.

Pedro Julio Serrano, president of Puerto Rico’s LGBTQ+ Federation, called Friday’s ruling a historic one that upholds equality.

Meanwhile, Gov. Jenniffer González Colón told reporters that she was awaiting recommendations from Puerto Rico’s Justice Department regarding the ruling.

The ruling comes more than seven years after a U.S. federal court ordered Puerto Rico’s government to allow transgender people to change their gender on birth certificates following a lawsuit if they so wished.

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