Transgender couple seek to be recognized as 'parents' on child's birth certificate; moves HC

Kochi: A transgender couple approached the high court requesting that their child’s birth certificate replace the conventional term ‘father’ and ‘mother’, with the term ‘parents’. Justice N Nagaresh sought aid of the state government and requested that a consensus be reached as to what can be done in this case. He moved the petition for consideration on the June 27. 
 
The country’s first transgender parents, transman Sahad and transwoman Siya Pawal, are the petitioners. Kozhikode corporation registered the child’s birth and issued the birth certificate. As per the Kerala registration of birth and death rules, 1999 the corporation named the father as Siya Pawal and mother as Sahad Pawal.

The petitioners say that they submitted an appeal to the corporation to remove father’s and mother’s name from the child’s certificate as the child’s mother now identifies as a man. However, this request was rejected by the corporation authorities. 

They demand that an order be issued for a new certificate with the name of ‘parents’ indicated. Their child was born in February this year. They had declared that the biological mother identified as a man many years ago. 

They request the change in credentials as ‘parents’ to avoid the child’s birth certificate stating ‘born to a man’. The petition also points out that naming the father and mother will create technical difficulties later on when the child applies for school admissions, aadhar card, pan card, passport, etc.