In what activists say is a landmark decision for Puerto Rico, a federal judge issued a ruling on Monday allowing nonbinary, intersex and gender-fluid individuals in the territory to adjust their birth certificate so that it accurately reflects their gender identity.
Judge María Antongiorgi Jordán, of the Federal District of Puerto Rico, ordered the Demographic Registry to amend a form so that people can select “X” as a gender marker on their birth certificate. Gov. Jenniffer González Colón said she was awaiting recommendations from the territory’s Justice Department regarding the ruling, and applicants will have to wait to change their gender marker until the new form is available.
“At a time when nonbinary, gender nonconforming and trans communities are under attack, this historic decision opens the door to the full recognition of their dignity,” said Pedro Julio Serrano, activist and president of the LGBTQ+ Federation of Puerto Rico. “We celebrate a milestone that allows the equality promised in the Constitution to be put in practice.”
Trans people in Puerto Rico have been allowed to change their gender marker from “male” to “female” and vice versa since 2018, but until Monday could not choose an option that aligned with an identity outside the gender binary. This difference violates the right to equal protection of all people, according to the court order.
