Campbell condemns IDOH’s decision to halt gender change requests on birth certificates

On Tuesday, March 18, the Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) halted gender change requests for Indiana birth certificates. This decision follows a recent executive order from Gov. Mike Braun which requires Indiana's executive branch to “enforce the biological binary of man and woman.” 

State Rep. Chris Campbell (D-West Lafayette) released the following statement: 

“I’m disappointed by the IDOH decision to halt gender changes on birth certificates. This will have severe repercussions on the livelihoods of transgender Hoosiers. The Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) requires a birth certificate and Social Security card that reflects an individual’s preferred name and gender to issue an ID. The Trump administration stopped processing gender change requests for Social Security cards, and now Gov. Braun has implemented the same restriction for birth certificates.

"This means their IDs could be affected as well. What happens if they get pulled over and their ID doesn’t match their appearance? It will also affect their health care, work and housing. Since your insurance plan doesn’t align with the gender on your birth certificate, it can lead to denials for care deemed inconsistent with your assigned sex at birth. Landlords can request birth certificates as part of the application process, and job applications may require an ID or birth certificate. 

“Transgender Hoosiers will have to constantly explain their gender identity during processes where gender shouldn’t even be a part of the conversation. I will continue to fight to protect the rights of transgender individuals in Indiana.”