The mother of Renn
Forsberg, 6, has filed a human rights complaint over the province’s
requirement for sex to be listed on birth certificates.
Photograph by: submitted photo , Fran Forsberg
A Saskatoon mom has filed a human rights complaint over the province's requirement for sex to be listed on birth certificates.
"I think it's premature to identify a gender for someone (in infancy)," Fran Forsberg said in an interview. "Who are we to say what a person's gender is?" Forsberg's six-year old daughter Renn was born male, but around the age of three began to express herself as a girl. Renn had started showing self-destructive behaviour, but that ceased when she began "gravitating to what society says (are) female clothes," Forsberg said.
"As soon as we listened to our child and allowed her to be who she is, then she was a lot happier," she said, noting birth certificates are used for registering for school, library cards and licences.
Renn's birth certificate identifies her as male. Forsberg said she doesn't "feel like that's anyone's business."
That 'M' or 'F' can be changed if a person has sexual reassignment surgery, but "there are trans people who don't want to alter their bodies," Forsberg said.
The discrepancy can cause problems - such as a female adult trying to enter the U.S. when her birth certificate identifies her as male, she said.
While Forsberg acknowledged sex and gender are separate issues, she said she still questions the need to record a newborn's sex.
"Somebody said, 'Well, medical issues.' But if you're going to a doctor, obviously the doctor is going to know," she said.
Provincial Justice Minister Gordon Wyant said the government will wait for the human rights commission to do its work.
"There'll be a process that they'll go through, so we'll wait to see what the results of that process are and then from there, make a decision as to how we proceed," Wyant said.
There have been changes to birth certificates over the years, and he isn't ruling anything out yet, Wyant said. "We know that there's been some things that have been done in others provinces. Certainly that will be something that the commission will look at when they're doing their deliberations," he added.
eHealth Saskatchewan CEO Susan Antosh said she would have to look at the policy implications before supporting or opposing a change.
It's important to be able to quickly identify a person's sex, she said, noting it's used for some medical and statistical purposes. For example, women and men may present different symptoms during a heart attack.
Sex is also a "primary attribute used for identification purposes," Antosh said.
NDP Opposition equality and human rights critic David Forbes said his party is not calling for any changes to birth certificates at this time, instead focusing on the human rights code.
"I've met several times with Fran, and my primary focus is on the human rights code and making sure we get the amendments in terms of identity and expression," Forbes said.
NEED TO KNOW
Ontario became the first jurisdiction in Canada to allow trans people to change their sex designation on a birth certificate without sex reassignment surgery. The change came after a ruling by the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal called the surgery requirement "substantively discriminatory."
British Columbia's government has introduced legislation that would make it possible for trans children to have their birth certificates altered to reflect their gender identity. Currently, a change of sex designation on birth registration is limited to trans people undergoing sex reassignment surgery.
"I think it's premature to identify a gender for someone (in infancy)," Fran Forsberg said in an interview. "Who are we to say what a person's gender is?" Forsberg's six-year old daughter Renn was born male, but around the age of three began to express herself as a girl. Renn had started showing self-destructive behaviour, but that ceased when she began "gravitating to what society says (are) female clothes," Forsberg said.
"As soon as we listened to our child and allowed her to be who she is, then she was a lot happier," she said, noting birth certificates are used for registering for school, library cards and licences.
Renn's birth certificate identifies her as male. Forsberg said she doesn't "feel like that's anyone's business."
That 'M' or 'F' can be changed if a person has sexual reassignment surgery, but "there are trans people who don't want to alter their bodies," Forsberg said.
The discrepancy can cause problems - such as a female adult trying to enter the U.S. when her birth certificate identifies her as male, she said.
While Forsberg acknowledged sex and gender are separate issues, she said she still questions the need to record a newborn's sex.
"Somebody said, 'Well, medical issues.' But if you're going to a doctor, obviously the doctor is going to know," she said.
Provincial Justice Minister Gordon Wyant said the government will wait for the human rights commission to do its work.
"There'll be a process that they'll go through, so we'll wait to see what the results of that process are and then from there, make a decision as to how we proceed," Wyant said.
There have been changes to birth certificates over the years, and he isn't ruling anything out yet, Wyant said. "We know that there's been some things that have been done in others provinces. Certainly that will be something that the commission will look at when they're doing their deliberations," he added.
eHealth Saskatchewan CEO Susan Antosh said she would have to look at the policy implications before supporting or opposing a change.
It's important to be able to quickly identify a person's sex, she said, noting it's used for some medical and statistical purposes. For example, women and men may present different symptoms during a heart attack.
Sex is also a "primary attribute used for identification purposes," Antosh said.
NDP Opposition equality and human rights critic David Forbes said his party is not calling for any changes to birth certificates at this time, instead focusing on the human rights code.
"I've met several times with Fran, and my primary focus is on the human rights code and making sure we get the amendments in terms of identity and expression," Forbes said.
NEED TO KNOW
Ontario became the first jurisdiction in Canada to allow trans people to change their sex designation on a birth certificate without sex reassignment surgery. The change came after a ruling by the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal called the surgery requirement "substantively discriminatory."
British Columbia's government has introduced legislation that would make it possible for trans children to have their birth certificates altered to reflect their gender identity. Currently, a change of sex designation on birth registration is limited to trans people undergoing sex reassignment surgery.
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