I am a transgender woman and an advocate for trans youth. The difficulty in changing birth certificates impacts trans people of all ages. Several school systems require a transgender child to use the restroom that matches the gender on their birth certificate. For youth in Virginia, the current policy means they must get “a surgical gender reassignment procedure”. Transgender youth cannot get gender reassignment surgery. Medical intervention for trans youth does not occur until puberty, and then the transgender child may receive puberty blockers. They may later receive Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). This means, based on these school system’s policies, transgender youth will not be able use the restroom that matches their gender. Also, obtaining a job without letting their potential employer that they were assigned a different gender at birth.

In general, not all transgender people can have gender reassignment surgery. There may be financial, medical, or other reasons. Requiring a surgical procedure limits trans people’s options.