Sex Self-Identification

Good Morning and Welcome to this week’s Gospel and Culture update, by Alan Vink
Sex Self-Identification
Tuesday 6th June 2023

Sex Self-Identification, (Birth Certificates can now be easily changed).

The Births, Death, and Marriages and Relationships Act 2021 replaces the former Act (same name) with new legislation. In summary it makes it easier for people to change the sex on their birth certificates without having to go through the Family Court or show evidence of medical treatment to change their sex.

Key changes include:

• Allowing each parent who is notifying the birth of a child to specify whether they wish to appear on the child's birth certificate as the child's mother, father, or parent.
• Allowing an eligible person aged 18 and over to change their nominated sex by statutory declaration.
• Allowing an eligible person aged 16 or 17 to change their nominated sex by statutory declaration without the consent of their legal guardian with a letter of recommendation from a suitable third party. The third party must have sufficient professional or community standing (they don't necessarily have to be a health professional) and have known the minor for a minimum of 12 months.
• Allowing the guardian of a child under 16 to change their child's nominated sex by statutory declaration. The application must be accompanied by letter of recommendation from a suitable third party.
• The nominated sex may be male, female, or another sex described in the regulations.
• The Registrar-General must register nominated sex if statutory requirements met
• The eligible child must confirm registered sex on turning 18 years old.

It is very important to note that after the 3rd Reading of this Bill on the 9th December 2021 it was passed unanimously. And here is a very good explainer (long form) written in November 2021 that outlines the history of this issue.

POV. In just over a week I can change my name and my sex on my Birth Certificate with ease and so can you. Any takers? Firstly I doubt that there will be many contrary to public perception. My guess is perhaps 1-2% of NZ’s population (over 18 year olds) at most. But that isn’t really the point is it? I’m incredulous that 120 intelligent people in our Parliament, all the Government advisors working on this legislation including Treasury, the Department of Internal Affairs and the Law Commission think all this is perfectly OK. Will so it seems. Has this not re-defined common sense?

I accept that there are a very small group of people who have transitioned in NZ. I absolutely agree that these folks deserve to be treated kindly and respectfully as we would treat all minorities. But fundamentally changing a legal document known as our Birth Certificate and to do so with ease is a step to far. I’m sure with some creative thinking some provision can be made for these folks that is a rare exception to the rule without changing the rule.

Headlines Only

Rick Warren was recently installed as the first Chancellor of Spurgeon’s College. Warren expressed gratitude for the opportunity to represent Spurgeon’s College. “The name of Spurgeon stands for a number of key values that the church needs to recover today,” he said. “It represents strong Bible-based doctrine; passionate preaching; extensive church planting; winsome evangelism a commitment to the ministry of every believer; and caring for the poor, the orphaned and the marginalized. I’d summarize Charles Spurgeon’s life and ministry with this slogan: He made a Great Commitment to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission that produced a great church and a great college.”

The 'Misery Index'. You may be surprised such an index exists. Interestingly it does. It is calculated by adding unemployment and inflation. It was first devised in the 1960s in the US to give American presidents an easy snapshot of how households were faring. This article explains what it is and shows that even though the cost of living has shot through the roof in the last 12 months the misery index isn’t as high as it was in the 80’s for example largely because unemployment rate is very low. In other words, because middle NZ have job security they don’t feel as anxious as they would if job security was an issue.