Overview

• Six nonbinary plaintiffs sued Governor Jenniffer González Colón and the health secretary to secure access to nonbinary gender markers on Puerto Rico birth certificates.
• The Supreme Court ruled that individuals can now choose ‘X’ as their gender designation on official birth records.
• This decision builds on a U.S. federal court order from more than seven years ago that allowed transgender Puerto Ricans to amend gender markers.
• Pedro Julio Serrano, president of Puerto Rico’s LGBTQ+ Federation, described the ruling as a historic advance that upholds equality.
• Puerto Rico’s Justice Department is expected to issue guidelines for updating birth certificate procedures under the new ruling.