Mexicans living in the U.S. will now be able to request a change to their gender identity on birth certificates. This comes as Mexico’s foreign affairs ministry is allowing transgender people to receive amended birth certificates at any of their consulates in the U.S.It’s a policy that Christina Arias is happy about. She hopes to be able to soon apply and be legally identified as a woman in her home country.”It’s an issue of human rights,” Liliana Ferrer, the consul general of Mexico in Sacramento said. “The Mexican government has thought of the concept of inclusivity and how important it is to protect our most vulnerable communities.”A decades-long dream for Arias, who immigrated to Sacramento five years ago from the Mexican state of Jalisco and says that these documents will acknowledge the identity of Trans Mexicans and reaffirm who they are.”Back in the day when I was a kid or when I was a kid or when I was a teenager this was a dream. It was a dream that not many people will be able to achieve,” Arias said.She recalls that three months after moving to Sacramento, three of her friends who were also transgender women were murdered as a result of hate crimes.”Sadly, the most dangerous countries to live in the world for trans people – especially for a trans woman – are in Latin America; Mexico and Brazil,” she added.With the policy that went into effect on Jan. 15, she says this decision is the beginning of more opportunities like continuing her higher education which has been on pause for a few years.”I’m going to be able to start the process to start my master’s degree in the United States. It was not possible before because my American documents have my legal name and my Mexican documents have a different name,” said Arias, who also hopes that a gender identity change in birth certificates can decrease the risk of discrimination.”We don’t have to understand certain situations to support. I think we are all human and we are all looking for the same thing. We just want to be happy, we just want to live in a world where everybody loves each other.”Among the requirements to obtain a certified copy of their birth certificate, Mexican nationals have to provide proof of identity and submit an application at their nearest consulate office.Ferrer also adds that two witnesses are required to complete the process, and they will also need to provide an official identification and fill out a form.You can reach the Consulate General of Mexico in Sacramento online or by calling 916-441-3287.
Mexicans living in the U.S. will now be able to request a change to their gender identity on birth certificates. This comes as Mexico’s foreign affairs ministry is allowing transgender people to receive amended birth certificates at any of their consulates in the U.S.
It’s a policy that Christina Arias is happy about. She hopes to be able to soon apply and be legally identified as a woman in her home country.
“It’s an issue of human rights,” Liliana Ferrer, the consul general of Mexico in Sacramento said. “The Mexican government has thought of the concept of inclusivity and how important it is to protect our most vulnerable communities.”
A decades-long dream for Arias, who immigrated to Sacramento five years ago from the Mexican state of Jalisco and says that these documents will acknowledge the identity of Trans Mexicans and reaffirm who they are.
“Back in the day when I was a kid or when I was a kid or when I was a teenager this was a dream. It was a dream that not many people will be able to achieve,” Arias said.
She recalls that three months after moving to Sacramento, three of her friends who were also transgender women were murdered as a result of hate crimes.
“Sadly, the most dangerous countries to live in the world for trans people – especially for a trans woman – are in Latin America; Mexico and Brazil,” she added.
With the policy that went into effect on Jan. 15, she says this decision is the beginning of more opportunities like continuing her higher education which has been on pause for a few years.
“I’m going to be able to start the process to start my master’s degree in the United States. It was not possible before because my American documents have my legal name and my Mexican documents have a different name,” said Arias, who also hopes that a gender identity change in birth certificates can decrease the risk of discrimination.
“We don’t have to understand certain situations to support. I think we are all human and we are all looking for the same thing. We just want to be happy, we just want to live in a world where everybody loves each other.”
Among the requirements to obtain a certified copy of their birth certificate, Mexican nationals have to provide proof of identity and submit an application at their nearest consulate office.
Ferrer also adds that two witnesses are required to complete the process, and they will also need to provide an official identification and fill out a form.
You can reach the Consulate General of Mexico in Sacramento online or by calling 916-441-3287.
/cloudfront-us-east-2.images.arcpublishing.com/reuters/ARHZ5EW6L5LVVIRTRRXQNLFDWA.jpg)
