Please note that we are no longer accepting applications for the Change of Name Program, but you can find information on updating your official name in this guide. The effects of allowing non-binary people to match their gender appearance with their identity documents ripple through their daily lives, from using credit cards for purchases to preventing harassment and violence. A study by the Trevor Project, a suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ youth, found that allowing transgender and non-binary teens to change legal documents to reflect their pronouns was associated with a decrease in suicide attempts. The huge impact of providing appropriate gender labels on government administrative forms could therefore change the lives of non-binary people as well as the lives of their environment. Jody Herman, an expert in gender identity law and policy at the Williams Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles, said Oregon, Washington, D.C., Australia, New Zealand, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Thailand and parts of Canada already offer some form of non-conforming third gender legal recognition. Non-binary people often fall through the cracks of our healthcare system. A common scenario is to force non-binary people to choose a gender in order to receive necessary medical care. When a health care plan reaches its members with an “F” sex marker for mammograms and Pap tests, their non-binary members who need these services are excluded, adding to health inequalities in their reproductive and sexual care. If a medical provider confuses their non-binary patient, they may be deterred from returning, resulting in delays in their care. These are just a few examples that highlight the importance of gender markers in the relationship between non-binary people and the health system. The Gender Identity Bill (SB-179) was signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown and will go into effect in 2019.For the first time in the state`s history, California will recognize a third gender option for residents who do not identify as male or female.
The California Gender Recognition Act (SB 179), passed June 15, 179. Enacted in October 2017, it makes it much easier for all transgender people living or born in California to obtain identification documents that reflect their gender, making California the second county state to provide a standard way to obtain a non-binary gender marker on state documents. Non-binary is an umbrella term for people whose gender identity does not reflect binary genders, while transgender is used to define people whose gender identity is different from the gender they were assigned at birth. While many non-binary people identify as transgender, some do not. In addition, some transgender people do not identify as binary transgender. For instructions on legal name changes for minors under the age of 18 in California, see the NCTE Name Change for Minors in California resource. Further instructions on the process of changing birth certificates can be found at the CRPD here (to update the gender) and here (after the legal name change). As of September 2018, individuals detained in California can apply for a legal name change without prior authorization from law enforcement officials (see SB310). Courts will reject registered applications from sex offenders unless they find that doing so does not compromise public safety.
(Statutes: Cal. Civ. Proc. Code ยงยง1275-1279.6). However, the law does not come into force all at once and only concerns certain documents. In particular, it does not affect documents issued by other states or the federal government (including Social Security cards, passports, and documents issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services). This fact sheet provides some explanation of the timing and nature of the changes. Thirty-one percent of the 27,700 participants in a transgender survey conducted in the United States in 2015 were identified as non-binary. The report found that nearly one-third of all participants had negative experiences when they showed ID with a name or sex that did not match the gender they physically presented. A quarter reported being verbally harassed. About 16% reported being denied services or benefits, and 9% were asked to leave.
Two percent said they had been attacked or attacked. To change the name and/or gender on a California license or ID card: According to a study by the California Department of Public Health, approximately 1.4 million, or 5.5%, of California adults identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or of another sexual or transgender orientation. Among the LGBT population, 5.2% of adults identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or of another sexual orientation, while 0.3% identify as transgender. Especially for those who identify as non-binary but non-transgender, there is much less research. Currently, we know nationally that non-binary adults in the U.S. are more likely to be uninsured, in poor or fair health, and suffer from serious mental illnesses than their cisgender heterosexual counterparts. Sixty-eight percent of the population say they don`t have enough money to make ends meet, and 43 percent fall into the “low-income” category, meaning their household income is below 200 percent of the federal poverty line. In addition, a 2019 study found that queer or non-gender-specific respondents reported significantly worse overall well-being and health outcomes than binary transgender respondents. Non-binary respondents also had additional negative effects on lower levels of education and more economic stress than transgender respondents.
For current instructions on sex reassignment judgments, see the sex change instructions on the California courts website. For information on how to obtain a fee waiver of court filings, see the instructions on waiving court fees. Note that sex reassignment judgments are not required to update a California birth certificate. California lawmakers have made clear their intent to achieve these goals, and now is the time for agencies to do their part on this path to health equity for the non-binary community.