Mexican Government allows people to change their gender on birth certificates

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- For the last 6 months the Mexican Government has been allowing people to change their gender on birth certificates.

Mexican Consulates across the nation have already seen 250 people make the change on legal documents.

Nuria Zuniga is the Deputy Council at the Fresno Mexican Consulate.

Locally, she has seen six people from the transgender community make use of the new service..

"The reactions have been really really heartwarming, they feel recognized, they feel one barrier is tackled, that they can be themselves." says Nuria.

Alex Sanchez is a transgender man form the Central Valley.

He remembers the feeling when he changed the gender on his legal documents.

Alex mentions, "It was affirming, it just went to prove that folks understood that I am who I am. I don't have to get the questions and the uncomfortable stares."

Alex has been a volunteer for the Fresno organization, Trans-E-Motion, for the last 5 years.

He found the support group after experiencing violence and homelessness during his transition.

Alex believes the gender-changing service across Mexican Consulates is a step in the direction of progress.

"Sometimes, folks can treat them as second-class citizens. That is not the case and being able to recognize them as who they are regardless of their status is a huge opportunity for growth," says Alex.

The process is simple and can take less than three hours.

All someone needs is their original Mexican birth certificate and an ID that matches their original name.

This week, the Mexican Consulate will host a series of online conferences providing information on local resources for the LGBTQ+ community. Details can be found here