Transgender people are often parents. Unfortunately, if they change their name after the birth of their child, in Idaho, there is no way for them to change their deadname on their children's birth certificates. This forces them to reuse their deadname which results in trauma and risks their safety, as well as the safety of their families. There should also be the ability to list trans women as "Mother", trans men as "Father" and non-binary people as "Parent".  This issue also affects people fleeing domestic violence who have legally changed their name for safety. 

We are asking the Idaho lawmakers to allow for legally changed names and gender markers to be reflected on the birth certificates of our children. This protects domestic abuse victims from further abuse, and trans parents and their families from potential harm. 

Birth certificates are required in many situations, such as registering for schools and doctors offices, in order to prove parenthood. Trans parents should not have to "out" themselves, and therefore open the door to mistreatment and even violence, in order to take routine care of their children. Currently, trans parents are forced to carry name change documents with them everywhere they go in order to prove parenthood, further endangering their families.