Associated Press
Florida health officials say they will not fight a judge’s order that would change the gender on a transgender teen’s birth certificate from female to male.
The Department of Health told the Miami Herald that it will comply with Leon Circuit Judge Karen Gievers‘ order to change the marker on the 15-year-old Fort Lauderdale resident’s birth certificate.
The department routinely makes the change for adults who have transitioned from one sex to the other but says it asked for guidance from the judge because the applicant is a minor and has not undergone reassignment surgery.
“This is unprecedented in Florida as we have not had a case like this involving a child,” the department said in a statement Saturday night. “The department is always cautious in decisions involving children when the law is not clear, which is why DOH asked the court for guidance. Pursuant to the court’s order, we will issue the amended birth certificate.”
The teen’s parents had asked that the change be made. The family’s name has been sealed by the court.
