Kerala couple wants their transgender identities in baby’s birth certificate

The transgender couple in Kerala, who were recently blessed with a baby, has sought to register their new gender identities in the birth certificate and other documents of the newborn.

They have approached the hospital authorities in this regard.

Though transman Zahhad delivered the child, he wants his name to be registered as the father of the baby, and Ziya Paval, his transwoman partner, as the mother.

Request to authorities

Paval told PTI that they have submitted a request to the Government Medical College Hospital authorities in Kozhikode for it.

Also read: In a first in India, Kerala transgender couple gives birth to a baby

“We submitted a letter to the hospital authorities in this regard and they assured us that it will be considered. According to the recent verdicts of the Supreme Court and the Transgender Persons Act 2019, we have the right to change our gender,” she said.

Paval added that they have the transgender identity card issued by the Centre and so they expect there won’t be any legal hurdles to get their request granted.

“Confident that baby won’t leave us”

Asked how the baby and its “father” were doing, she said both are perfectly ok and happy.

“Zahhad and I are enjoying every bit of these happy days and our parenthood. The happiness of having a biological child is beyond words. This is our own child…No one can stake any claim on our baby…We are confident that the baby won’t leave us one day, as we are its actual parents,” an excited Paval added.

The transwoman said the hospital authorities are feeding the child breast milk at frequent intervals from their breast milk bank and supporting the couple in all possible ways.

Also read: Kerala is pioneer in transgender rights. So where are the transgender voters?

In what is being considered the first such case in the country, the trans-couple was blessed with the baby through Caesarean Section on Wednesday.

They have refused to reveal the baby’s gender and said they did not want to make it public right now.

(With agency inputs)