Overview
- The court’s May 30 decision stems from an October 2023 lawsuit by six nonbinary Puerto Ricans arguing that the territory’s birth certificate policy violated equal protection under the Fourteenth Amendment.
- Justices found that the existing policy “arbitrarily distinguishes” between binary and nonbinary individuals and directed the Demographic Registry to amend its gender-change form to include an ‘X’ option.
- With the change, Puerto Rico will join at least 17 U.S. states that already permit nonbinary or gender-neutral markers on birth certificates.
- Governor Jenniffer González Colón affirmed the government’s intention to comply with the ruling and said officials will await Justice Department guidance before updating the forms.
- LGBTQ+ advocates celebrated the move as a victory for equality, while Representative Jorge Navarro Suárez introduced a non-binding resolution condemning the ruling.