NEWS / City of Boston drops gender markers from marriage certificates

The City of Boston will no longer include gender markers on its marriage certificates. The change is aimed at creating a more inclusive environment for individuals who do not identify with either the male or female gender.

“For many...a marriage certificate is a symbol of love and commitment,” Kimberly Rhoten, director of policy and strategic initiatives for the city’s Office of Returning Citizens, who also identifies as non-binary and had received their own marriage certificate on Tuesday, was quoted by Boston.com as stating, “But unfortunately for people like me, the certificates’ outdated and narrow gender markers were a glaring reminder that our city still had a long way to go to acknowledging our existence. They were a subtle yet powerful message that our love, our relationships, and our identities were somehow less valid and less recognized under the eyes of the law and the City of Boston.”

Rhoten also noted that getting rid of the gender markers makes it easier for individuals to switch their gender identity, as they would not feel constrained by the gender shown on their marriage certificate.

The change comes as part of a wider effort by the administration of Mayor Michelle Wu to improve the way city officials ask people about their gender identity. The City’s Chief Digital Officer Julia Gutiérrez noted that the guidelines can be broken into 2 parts—when the city should ask about gender identity and how the city should go about doing so. Boston City Registrar Paul Cheung noted that the changes make the city “a better place”.

We can help you retrieve a certified copy of your marriage certificate and apostille or authenticate it for use abroad. Call us today at (212) 233-7061 or e-mail us at info@apostille.us. You may also apply on our website.