Illinois makes it easier for transgendered people to get new birth certificates

CHICAGO (AP) -- Illinois has made it easier for people who have had sex reassignment surgery to change their birth certificates to reflect their new gender.

The American Civil Liberties Union says the state has issued new birth certificates to three people who had previously been denied.

The ACLU says the Illinois Department of Vital Records has changed its policies and now allows transgender people who had sex changes overseas to get new documents.

Previously, people could only change their birth certificates if their surgery was performed by a physician who's licensed in the United States.

The vital records department is also developing new standards for how much surgery a person has to have before they're eligible for a new birth certificate.

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