FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 1st, 2024
LGBTQ+ Advocates Applaud Approval of Bill that Supports Illinois Residents with Birth Certificate Corrections
CHICAGO - As states across the country continue attacking the rights of trans and gender-expansive people, Illinois continues to move forward with Governor JB Pritzker’s approval Sunday of a legislative measure that supports Illinois residents born in other states or countries with changing the gender marker on their birth certificates, according to Equality Illinois, the state’s LGBTQ+ civil rights organization.
Sponsored by State Rep. Kevin Olickal and State Sen. Ram Villivalam, HB 5507 clarifies that an Illinois resident can petition an Illinois judge to issue findings of fact that the resident can use to petition another state or country in support of changing a gender marker on birth certificates issued by the other state or country. Unlike Illinois, several other states and countries require court orders to make gender marker corrections on birth certificates, including Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
Illinois residents who were born in other jurisdictions often find it extremely difficult, expensive, or harmful to return to their state or country of origin to get such a court order. HB 5507 does not direct or order another state what to do; rather, the legislation removes barriers in Illinois faced by Illinois residents who were born in other states or countries and clarifies that Illinois judges have the authority to issue documentation to support gender marker corrections.
HB 5507 was initiated by the Transformative Justice Law Project of Illinois (TJLP) and co-led with Equality Illinois through the legislative process.
"At TJLP we assist over 500 Illinois residents every year with name and gender marker changes and have been met with a repeated barrier to assisting our clients if they were born in states that have hostile laws for amending birth certificates,” said Avi Rudnick, Director of Legal Services at TJLP. “HB5507 will help our clients seek a gender marker change order from Illinois judges to satisfy states that have enacted harsh and demeaning laws. While we believe that gender markers should not exist on government documentation, we believe that under current laws everyone should be able to self-determine their gender identity. HB5507 moves us in that direction and increases the privacy and safety of transgender people by removing barriers to acquiring matching identity documents."
“Whether they have been here for decades or are new residents who have left the cruelties of the states or countries where they were born, trans and gender-expansive people who move to Illinois needed our state to establish a clear judicial process to support efforts to update their birth certificates. HB 5507 establishes that process,” said Mike Ziri, Equality Illinois Director of Public Policy. “Thank you to TJLP, Rep. Olickal, Sen. Villivalam, and Gov. Pritzker for their tremendous leadership. As there is more work to do, we will keep Illinois moving forward for all LGBTQ+ people.”
"Illinoisans of all gender identities and backgrounds deserve safe, accessible pathways to maintaining updated documentation,” said State Rep. Kevin Olickal. “By allowing residents to petition for updates to their birth certificates from another jurisdiction, this inclusive legislation ensures that all Illinoisans have accurate and recognized documentation, which is essential for many legal and identity purposes. House Bill 5507 is a critical step forward in ensuring Illinois remains a haven for all LGBTQ+ individuals, especially as neighboring states continue to pass daily regressive policies that intentionally harm the LGBTQ+ community."
“With the signing of HB5507, Illinois continues to be a leader on LGBTQ+ rights,” said Villivalam (D-Chicago). “This law ensures that everyone is able to request and update important documents, such as their birth certificate, that reflect who they are."
HB 5507 takes effect immediately.
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