Saturday, July 5th, 2025; Jackie Turner – Director Trans Justice Project; Birth Cert. Reforms & Better Recognition for Rainbow Families comes into effect, NSW.

Macca ad Fiona talk to Jackie Turner – Director Trans Justice Project, as of July 1, 2025 – Community groups have welcomed key reforms in the NSW Equality Act coming into effect today, including new birth certificate laws and better recognition of some rainbow families.

The largest package of LGBTIQ+ reforms in NSW history was passed last October, bringing the state into line with the rest of the country.

From today, trans people will no longer be required to have surgery before updating ID to accurately reflect their gender. Non-binary and non-specified gender makers are also now available.

There is also a pathway for some children born out of overseas commercial surrogacy arrangements to have their parents recognised.

Teddy Cook, Equality Australia Senior Advisorsaid it was a monumental day for the trans community.

“This is the first major reform since the 1980s that will directly empower and improve the lives of trans people across NSW,” he said.

“Adults and young people will no longer have to be examined by a medical professional, require surgery or have to prove to anyone else that we are who we say we are.

“Not all trans people want to have surgery and legal recognition of who we are is a human right. The prohibitive cost and other barriers to accessing surgeries rules them out as viable options for many trans people, even for those desperately wanting surgery.

“We may be the last state to get there, but during a time when trans people are under attack globally, it means the world.”

https://equalityaustralia.org.au/birth-certificate-reforms-and-better-recognition-for-rainbow-families-comes-into-effect-in-nsw/#:~:text=July%201%2C%202025-,Birth%20certificate%20reforms%20and%20better%20recognition%20for%20rainbow%20families%20comes,recognition%20of%20some%20rainbow%20families.

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