The Green Party welcomes the announcement that the long-awaited gender self-ID legislation (Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Bill) will be brought back to the House this year.

“Aotearoa is strongest when everyone can be themselves, free from discrimination, and we are pleased to see Labour committing to this after two years of uncertainty for our Rainbow communities,” Green Party spokesperson for Rainbow Communities Dr Elizabeth Kerekere says.

“The current process for changing gender markers on birth certificates is full of unnecessary and discriminatory barriers. This legislation will make self-ID provisions for birth certificates consistent with our world-leading passport and driver licence self-ID provisions.

“We have supported our takatāpui, trans, intersex and non-binary whānau to fight for these changes for years. We look forward to working with Minister Tinetti to pass this legislation into law as soon as possible. It is long overdue.

“One concern we have is for migrants, refugees and asylum seekers who are New Zealand citizens but their birth certificates are from other countries. We need to make sure they are accounted for in this legislation.”

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