Boston will no longer require prospective spouses to register their sex or gender to marry

BOSTON (AP) — Couples filling out marriage certificates in Boston will no longer be required to identify their sex or gender under a new policy adopted by the city Tuesday.

The change is the first the city has made based on its new gender-aware guidelines, officials said.

The goal is to provide more dignity to residents whose gender and sexual identities have historically gone unrecognized or unsupported by government agencies.

“Our fundamental charge in public service is ensuring that our services and opportunities reach everyone, and that starts with affirming and supporting constituents of all identities,” Mayor Michelle Wu said in a statement.

“Boston must continue to work to dismantle the historic inequities and injustices that persist. This update to Boston marriage licenses is a huge step in building a city that is truly inclusive,” she added.

Boston residents who are already married and want to remove sex or gender identifiers from their marriage licenses can do so by contacting the city registry.