This article was originally published by QNews. You can find the original article here.
Following changes to laws, trans and gender-diverse people from Queensland are receiving their new birth certificates in the post. We spoke to Emily Wells about her experience.
On the 14th of June 2023, the Queensland parliament passed new laws for trans and gender-diverse people regarding their birth certificates.
This allowed changes to their birth certificates to occur without having to undergo gender-affirming surgery.
For Emily Wells, it’s a date she remembers well.
“It was the 14th of June and I know that because it was an early present as my birthday is the 15th,” she told me.
“It went through late at night and I listened to the debate in Parliament all day as I couldn’t get down to Brisbane because of work.”
The law passing was after a long campaign that Emily had been at the forefront of for many years.
She would have to wait another 12 months though until the process was put in place to apply.
“I wrote a few times asking where it was up to,” Emily says.
“They would go ‘Well, you know, we’re still working on the process,’ so when it finally came out I was ready to go.”
The law finally came into effect on June 24 of this year and Emily was on to it straight away.
“When they released it online, I immediately emailed to get the package, had it all printed off, got everything signed and sent it straight down to Brisbane by certified registered post.”
Receiving her birth certificate
The moment she received her new birth certificate in the mail, is one she will never forget.
“When I finally got it, I ripped it open and it t was sort of like it was real,” she explains.
“It’s a really hard feeling to describe, but it was like something had been completed. Like, ‘Yes, this Is it, this is me.’ Because the front of the birth certificate it’s got my name, and it’s got my gender.”
Emily also took her new birth certificate to work where colleagues celebrated with her and took photos.
Although other government documentation has previously been put in place, Emily tells me that birth certificates have a special meaning.
“You might get your license with your name on it, but it’s still not the same as having that primary document showing the correct name and the correct gender. It is just absolutely unreal.”
Emily explains the need for the laws was paramount as not all trans and gender-diverse people can afford the high costs of gender-affirming surgery.
Equality Australia’s reaction
Ymania Brown, who is trans and at the time was with Equality Australia, described the laws as “life-changing” for trans and gender-diverse folk in Queensland.
“What most people take for granted as a simple piece of paper is for trans and gender-diverse people the right to exist and be seen for who we are,” she said in June.
“Queensland was one of the last places in Australia to have cruel and outdated legal barriers that deny many trans people ID that accurately reflects their gender.”
Having a birth certificate that fails to align with your gender identity means many trans Queenslanders must “out” themselves when applying for jobs, bank accounts, rentals, university or support services.
“It is a distressing experience to be forced to reveal intimate and private details about our bodies and lives, often in public settings,” Ymania said.
“Everyone deserves the respect and dignity of being recognised as themselves.”
The impact of the campaign
Emily often had to be the face of a campaign with many media appearances that did receive some backlash.
“I knew it was going to be a bit of a tough gig, but someone has to do it,” she tells me matter of factly.
“I gave up counting the amount of emails I got that were really, really disgusting. My Facebook is open, and so of course I got messages that way and I’ve got a couple of death threats, maybe three or four. But the biggest thing is you just got to keep pushing forward.”
The fight has certainly been worth it as many other people have reached out to Emily to share the celebration of getting their new birth certificate.
“The first thing they did was ring me up and let me know that their birth certificate had been corrected. They were so excited, it was fantastic to hear from them, and just to hear the excitement in their voice when they got their first certificate in the mail.”
LGBTI Legal Service information kit
Queensland’s LGBTI Legal Service is now offering free support to all LGBTQIA+ Queenslanders navigating the new laws.
The service sends a free information kit, containing the forms needed and fact sheets with all the details about the changes.
For Emily, she doesn’t see this as the end of her campaigning and has a final message for the LGBTQIA+ community.
“We have to stick together and we’ve got to keep fighting for the rest of our rights and defend what we have because it can be taken away in an instant.”
For more information on the LGBTI Legal Service information visit lgbtilegalservice.org.au
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