Bill passed allowing transgender Victorians to change their sex on birth certificates without surgery

Victoria has become the fifth Australian state or territory to allow this key change on birth certificate.

Transgender Victorians will now have the freedom to choose the gender on their birth certificates without invasive reassignment surgery.

A bill ushering in the change passed 26-14 in the Victorian Upper House last night and will become law once receiving royal assent.

Equality Minister Martin Foley says the change is long overdue.

“It will make sure that gender diverse and trans Victorians have the same rights as everyone else for their foundation identity document to reflect who they are,” he told reporters at parliament today.

Victoria joins Tasmania, Northern Territory, South Australia and the ACT in making the change.

Equality Minister Martin Foley after the bill was introduced into parliament on August 14. Picture: AAP/James Ross

Victorian Greens leader Samantha Ratnam (centre) has said today is a “momentous moment”. Picture: AAP/James Ross

But the bill passed without the support of the state Liberals, who took issue with the it conflating gender and sex, and the purpose of a birth certificate.

“A birth certificate is supposed to report somebody’s biological sex, but gender identification is a different concept,” Victorian Opposition Leader Michael O’Brien told reporters.

“What the government has done in this bill, is turn a document which is designed to record biological sex, into something which reports a person’s gender identification.

Victorian Greens Leader Samantha Ratnam doesn’t resonate with that sentiment, saying the bill passing was a “amazing and momentous moment”.

In April, Tasmania was the first state to make the inclusion on birth certificates.

Gender diversity activists took so social media to celebrate the success, which marks a significant win in the fight for transgender equality in Australia.

The bill did not have the support of the Victorian Liberals, including leader Michael O’Brien. Picture: AAP/Daniel Pockett