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Show A-16 The Park Record Sat/Sun/Mon/Tues, August 18-21, 2018 Parents of transgender kids speak out on proposed law Lawmakers weigh birth certificate modification rules BIG STARS BRIGHT NIGHTS AUGUST 24 at 6:00 pm THE WALLFLOWERS LINDSAY WHITEHURST Associated Press SALT LAKE CITY — Amie Schofield’s 4-year-old daughter loves floral dresses and pigtails, but her mother worries she could be bullied or ostracized if school records reveal her birth certificate says she is a boy. Schofield was among parents of transgender and intersex children in Utah who on Wednesday asked state lawmakers not to bar their kids from officially changing their gender on birth certificates. “It’s terrifying. It’s the biggest worry, to be outed,” she said. Her daughter is intersex, with anatomy that isn’t solely either gender, she said. A doctor decided the baby was male, but Victory has always identified as a girl, her mother said. The panel of lawmakers Schofield spoke to later voted to keep studying a proposal that includes a requirement for people to be 18 before they change their gender on state documents. People, including those under 18, can change their gender on state documents now through a court order under a decades-old law, but the process can vary from judge to judge. Republican Sen. Todd Weiler proposed the plan to standardize the gender-change rules after two transgender people appealed to the Utah Supreme Court when a judge wouldn’t let them change their driver’s licenses. The case is still pending. Nearly 200 people have successfully changed their birth certificates over the last six years, state officials said. Among those was Drew Armstrong’s son Tyler, a self-described conservative Mormon who tried for years to coax his daughter toward feminine clothing before the child came out as transgender at age 12. The formerly shy, suicidal teen emerged from his shell and thrived as a young man, Armstrong said. Still, Tyler lived in fear that his new friends would find out he was transgender since his school records had his old name. Getting an official gender change eased those worries as he begins to get his driver’s license and apply for college, his father said. “These kids are vulnerable. They aren’t flamboyant drag queens, they want to fit in. They really want to fly under the radar,” Armstrong said. The proposal to update state law with a standard set of rules for changing gender failed under criticism from both sides last year, but Weiler said that doesn’t mean the issue is dead. “The landscape has shifted and the Legislature has remained silent,” he said. “I do think it’s our duty to wrap our arms around this very difficult issue.” Conservative activists spoke against his plan again Wednesday, saying it could wrongly take power away from judges to decide whether to grant gender changes and make it harder to get needed medical information on gender at hospitals. LGBT groups, meanwhile, are concerned about a provision that would retain someone’s old gender on the birth certificate as well as the age requirement. Weiler said he’d be open to dropping the age to 15, but he’s concerned about allowing gender changes on documents for younger children. Design flaw in state IDs may cause issues at airport Tickets start at $46 City Park 1354 Park Avenue Park City Tickets available at: parkcityinstitute.org Park City Institute Box Office, 435-6553114 The King's English Bookshop, 801-4849100 Open House Saturday (8/18) and Sunday (8/19) 10-2pm Amazing Views of Jordanelle & Deer Valley Fully furnished, Turn key Custom built in 2006 for owner and designed with main floor living in mind. Master bedroom, living room, dining, kitchen, mud and laundry, plus study. Lower level includes family room, 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, billiard room. Many extras include 2 fireplaces, 2 wetbars/ref., zone AC/HT. Porches, Deck, Patio and 2 car garage. Approximately $5800.00 Property Taxes H.O.A. Annual Dues $378.00 Associated Press SALT LAKE CITY — Utah residents without a star on their state-issued driver’s licenses may soon be turned away by airport security. The Department of Homeland Security requires Utah drivers’ licenses to have a little gold star on the top right corner, the Deseret News reported. The missing star threatens the Utah cards’ status as approved identification to board commercial flights. Utah Driver License Division Director Chris Caras told a legislative panel Tuesday that the issue was caused by a card design flaw. Homeland security officers informed Caras of the potential issue earlier this month. Transportation Safety Administration employees don’t recognize licenses from noncompliant states, Cara said. For now, the Department of Homeland Security hasn’t taken Utah off its list. “We’re very concerned about that, because we feel the citizens have met their obligation for that,” he said. “Really, it is a card design issue, but it’s a critical card design issue.” Fixing the issue could cost the state more than $3 million, Caras said. Caras said he will pitch a corrective plan and ask for two years to work through the changes. Utah will also need to pass a measure that would repeal a piece of law that prohibits Cara’s agency from printing new IDs to meet the requirement. Sen. Wayne Harper is a part of such an effort. “We want our people to be able to move and to travel as they choose,” the Taylorsville Republican said Tuesday. If the proposal is rejected and Utah is found noncompliant, Utah travelers may need to bring a passport or some other form of acceptable ID with them to the airport. |
