NEW YORK CITY — M, F or X. Those living in New York City have another option when designating gender on a birth certificate -- the gender X.
A law, which was passed earlier this year, went into effect with the new year, The Associated Press reported.
People can now legally change their birth certificates to the new gender if they attest that it is their “true gender identity.”
It also allows parents to set the gender for newborns as gender X from birth, the AP reported.
New York City is not alone when it comes to a third option to go with male or female. California, Oregon and Washington all allow for a non-binary gender choice. New Jersey will have a similar law next month.
New York City's law removed the requirement that forced an evaluation by a medical or mental health professional permitting the gender change. That law replaced one that allowed birth certificate gender changes only in cases of gender reassignment surgery, the AP reported.