Page 2005 - Week 07 - Thursday, 13 August 2020
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Australia and the Australian Red Cross, as well as advocates for integrated birth certificates and many other parties who have provided valuable input into the bill. This bill is one of many initiatives by the government to make Canberra the most inclusive and livable city in Australia, and we are committed to achieving that end. I commend the bill to the Assembly.
MS CHEYNE (Ginninderra) (5.24), by leave: In May the Assembly passed my bill amending the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act to enable recognition of organ and tissue donation on an individual’s death certificate. This change may have seemed like a small one but for many families of Canberrans who gave the gift of life in death it did mean the world.
This bill today also amends the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act. In this instance it is to enable two opportunities for the recognition of an individual’s true identity on their birth certificate. Again, these are straightforward and small changes but I expect that, just like with the bill earlier this year, they will be of great importance and, for some, life changing.
The first opportunity allows a young trans, intersex or gender diverse Canberran to change their birth registration details and birth certificate to better reflect their gender identity. This seemingly small change could be life changing for a young person who just wants to be recognised, including on formal documentation, for who they are—life changing in formally recognising their true self and life changing in how they go about their lives.
A simple task like applying for a job can be incredibly fraught for a young trans, intersex or gender diverse person. I cannot begin to imagine what it must be like to apply for a study or work opportunity only to have to present documentation that does not reflect your gender identity. As Minister Rattenbury has outlined, we know that there is a higher prevalence of mental health issues among transgender, intersex and gender diverse young people. This amendment goes some way to better supporting these young Canberrans.
This bill also provides an opportunity for people born and adopted in the ACT to obtain an integrated birth certificate that formally recognises both their birth parents and their adoptive parents. In some instances a person born overseas and adopted in the ACT may also be issued an integrated birth certificate. Again, this seemingly simple change could be an incredibly significant one for Canberrans who feel that their family history, their identity, is not otherwise properly reflected on their birth certificate.
In the past, adoption was often shrouded in stigma and secrecy. Thankfully, today this is much less likely to be the case. A shift to open adoptions means that many children grow up with an understanding of their adoption and, where possible, have information about or even a relationship with their birth parents. A birth certificate is one of the most significant documents there is, particularly in terms of its being a formal document reflecting your life, and one that is often crucial to telling a family’s history and a person’s place in it. So it is understandable that an individual who was
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