NYC Mayor De Blasio Signs Bill Adding Third Gender Option to Birth Certificates

On Tuesday, New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio signed a bill adding a third gender option for birth certificates issued in New York City. The Bill will give gender non-conforming and non-binary individuals the option of being marked as gender X. "A letter from a physician or an affidavit by a licensed health care provider will no longer be provided," reports CBS New York. "Residents can now submit their own affidavit requesting a change in gender identity."

City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, who introduced the bill in June, said that the signing of the bill was "a landmark day for our city. New York is sending a clear message to people who are transgender, gender non-conforming and non-binary that we are here for you. This law will help those friends, neighbors and colleagues better self-identify on their birth certificates, a document that's so important in everyday life."

Watch the historic ceremony below.