Wisconsin birth forms should include gender-neutral options for identifying the parents of a child, Gov. Tony Evers said Monday.
Evers and the state Department of Health Services announced that starting July 1, forms that are used to generate birth certificates will include “parent-parent” and “parent giving birth” options in addition to the current “mother-father” option for identifying parents.
“This change reflects my and my administration’s commitment to gender-neutral terminology and to recognizing that Wisconsin families are diverse and should be valued and respected,” Evers said.
New forms will also be made available in English, Spanish and Hmong.
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“Families have told us that a birth certificate that doesn’t accurately reflect their growing family can take away a piece of the joy when welcoming a new baby,” UnityPoint Health-Meriter President and CEO Sue Erickson said. “We are so pleased that Wisconsin created a more inclusive birth certificate form to reflect the families of our state and community.”
