Sonora Gender ID Law Has Gone Into Effect
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This week, a new gender identity law in neighboring Sonora, Mexico, has taken effect — four months after it was passed by the Sonoran Congress last October.
The new reform will make it easy for transgender Sonorans to change official documents, including birth certificates, to reflect their gender identity.
"I mean, imagine, it's improving the quality of life for trans people. It's dignifying out lives," said Fernanda Velarde, president of Sonora Trans, a group that has been pushing for the new law. "Historically we've been looked at as imposters or fake people, and for Sonora and the Mexican state to recognize our identities, officially, it legitimizes our identity, or word, as trans people. And that will improve our lives in many ways."
Velarde added that transgender Sonorans still face intense discrimination, rejection and marginalization, and the Gender ID law is just one step toward changing that.
Going forward, she said, a priority will be for transgender minors to access the same rights, as the new law only applies to adults, and for the law to also recognize people who are non-binary.
"And we also are still working for full access to health, and the needs trans people sometimes have, and access to work and education," she said.
For now, details are still being worked out for the application process to access changes under the new law, but Velarde hopes by next week Sonorans will be able to start correcting their official documents.
