Vermonters who wish to amend the gender identity listed on their birth certificate will now be able to do so more easily, thanks to a new law signed by Gov. Phil Scott on Wednesday.
Scott said in a statement that he was “happy to sign” HB 628, a bill that he said “takes an important step forward towards building a more equitable Vermont.”
“Working to make our state more welcoming and inclusive for all must be a priority, and this is another important step towards that goal,” he said.
Championed by Rep. Taylor Small, P/D-Winooski, HB 628 will allow Vermonters to attest to their own gender identity, streamlining a process that currently involves doctors, judges and extensive documentation. The bill will also allow Vermonters to identify by a third gender marker, X, on their birth certificates, bringing Vermont in alignment with 14 other states and Washington, D.C.
“The meaning of this bill is so much greater than just thinking about birth certificates,” Small said Wednesday. “It’s a symbol of all of the obstacles that trans people, and in particular trans youth, go through just to see themselves validated.”
Elected in November 2020, Small is Vermont’s first openly transgender state representative and one of four openly transgender state legislators in the country at the time. The bill is personal; Small said she herself has not amended her own birth certificate yet because of how arduous the current process is.
“It was such an easy process for me to amend and change my driver’s license, so I was able to do that,” she said. “But to go through the birth certificate change process, it felt onerous. There’s the fees involved. There’s the convincing a judge of the validity of my gender identity and hearing others in (the) community talk about it. It just did not make it a worthwhile experience for me to go through to prove to others about what I already know about myself.”
In addition to streamlining the amendment process, Small said allowing Vermonters to self-attest their gender will put the power in their own hands and send the message that the state believes and affirms their identity.
It’s a sharp contrast to a wave of bills and executive orders being approved in states across the country that take aim at trans people, particularly trans youth. Small said trans youth are watching what happens in statehouses, including Vermont’s.
“I think the message that this bill sends nationally is that Vermont is that welcoming place, that we are a state of refuge for LGBTQ people,” she said. “Instead of consideration of bills that are targeting and really invalidating trans identities, what we’ve done for the past two years is make significant steps forward in honoring our LGBTQ community members and recognizing the importance of that community here in Vermont.”
HB 628 takes effect July 1.