This is a follow up to the previous notice.

I spent an hour and a half with the Registrar-General of Births, Deaths and Marriages. This was in response to Anomalies in the new Queensland legislation.

If you had the operation performed in Australia and live in Australia, you can apply to have your Birth Certificate altered.

If you had the operation abroad or live abroad, or both, you cannot apply for the alteration to your Birth Certificate

Current reasoning is, you have to return to Australia, have 2 medicals, and the Doctors have to sign Statutory Declarations that you are now Male or Female due to surgery. After this you can apply for a new Birth Certificate.

This seems to me to be blatant discrimination against those who chose to have the operation abroad, or those who are abroad for the purpose of work.. What happened to the right of choice? The cost of returning to Australia, 2 weeks minimum stay, would in most cases mean that these people would forego their right to change their Birth Certificate.

I also understand that as from 01/10/03, Deed Polls will be done at the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages and not at the Court.

The Statutory Declaration appears to be incorrectly worded, and I quote "I confirm this person has undergone sexual reassignment surgery, a surgical procedure involving the alteration of the person’s reproductive organs" As the reproductive organs are removed, surely it should read, "I confirm this person has undergone sexual reassignment surgery, a surgical procedure involving the removal of the reproductive organs, and an alteration to the person’s genitalia"

In all honesty, I do not see how a Doctor can sign the current Statutory Declaration due to the wording.

These issues have been raised with and submitted to the Registrar-General in my capacity of a Private Citizen.

Kathy Anne Noble 20/06/03