Transgender Manitobans can have sex designation changed on marriage registrations

Transgender Manitobans can have their sex designation changed on marriage registrations starting in March, the provincial government announced Monday.

Starting March 1, the province says it will change the sex designation on marriage registrations for eligible applicants.

As well, Manitobans who are born outside the province will receive a change of sex designation certificate, provided they are Canadian citizens.

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Ron Lemieux, minister of tourism, culture, heritage, sport and consumer protection, announced the changes on Monday along with Fort Rouge MLA Jennifer Howard at the Rainbow Resource Centre in Winnipeg.

"We are pleased to see the province continue to move forward with changes the transgender community has been asking for," Mike Tutthill, the Rainbow Resource Centre's executive director, said in a news release.

"Changing one's gender identity is a significant step and it's good to know that the official steps or paperwork continue to be streamlined."

Last year, the province scrapped a requirement to show proof of surgery so transgender Manitobans could change their birth documents.

Instead, individuals can change their sex designation by providing a statutory declaration and a supporting note from a health-care professional.