I fully support an update to the Vital Records regulations that will no longer require surgery and/or a court order to change the gender marker on Virginia birth certificates. The District of Columbia code allows for gender designation change based upon a letter from a licensed health care provider stating that an individual has received "treatment appropriate for the individual for the purpose of gender transition, based on contemporary medical standards." The current Virginia code is not in line with contemporary medical standards due to the surgical and court order requirements. Additionally, the surgical requirement creates barriers for those who are unable to undergo surgery due to financial or health concerns. Because gender confirmation surgery results in sterilization, the reproductive rights of transgender individuals are sacrificed uneccesarily in order for their actual gender to be acknowledged by the state. I believe the gender transition process is best managed by an individual in partnership with their health care team, and not by the court.