Changes to sex listed on Virginia birth certificates more than doubled after 2020 law

The number of Virginians changing the sex listed on their birth certificate more than doubled between 2020 and 2022 after the passage of a law streamlining the process for individuals wanting to do so.

Previously, a person seeking to change the sex designation on their birth certificate had to provide the state registrar evidence that specific medical procedures had occurred as well as a court order. Now, a person can request the change by submitting to the registrar a form from their health care provider stating “clinically appropriate treatment for gender transition” was provided.

Virginia Department of Health Director of Communications Maria Reppas said the number of Virginians who have changed the sex listed on their birth certificate increased from 166 during the fiscal year 2020 to 275 in the fiscal year 2021 and 384 in the fiscal year 2022.

Narissa Rahaman, executive director of LGBTQ+ advocacy organization Equality Virginia, said her group worked to introduce the legislation to ease the historically “cumbersome” process of updating the sex on birth certificate documents, which is especially significant for those identifying as transgender or nonbinary.