Canadian Baby Issued Possible First-Ever Medical Card Without Gender Designation

A baby in the Canadian province of British Columbia has been issued a health care card without a specified gender, and the baby’s parent is now fighting for a similarly marked birth certificate.

The baby, Searyl Atli Doty, was born at home in November to Kori Doty, who identifies as neither male nor female and believes the baby should be able to determine their own gender later in life.

“I’m raising Searyl in such a way that until they have the sense of self and command of vocabulary to tell me who they are, I’m recognizing them as a baby and trying to give them all the love and support to be the most whole person that they can be outside of the restrictions that come with the boy box and the girl box,” Doty told CBC News.

Doty said British Columbia has refused to issue a birth certificate without a gender included on it, but the government recently sent a health card with the letter “U” for gender, possibly meaning “undetermined” or “unassigned.”