Trans couple who welcomed baby wants woman to be named mother in birth record

Kerala’s transgender couple, who has been blessed with a baby recently, has urged the hospital authorities to consider the trans father who delivered the child as the father in the birth records.

Zahad (23) gave birth to the child at the government medical college hospital in Kozhikode on Wednesday. Zahad’s partner, Ziya Paval (21), has urged the hospital authorities to mention her as the mother in the child’s birth records.

The request has put the hospital authorities in a fix, as it is considered to be the first such case of a trans father delivering a child in the country.

Matter to be referred to govt

The authorities are planning to refer the matter to the government after receiving a formal request from the couple. Ziya told DH that their wish to record Zahad as the father and Ziya as the mother in the birth certificate was conveyed to the hospital superintendent.

The superintendent assured them to help if there was any option to do so.

Hospital superintendent Dr C Sreekumar said once a formal request in this regard was received, it would be taken up with the higher-ups as a decision on the matter could not be taken at the hospital level.

Sources said as per the existing provisions, the one who delivers a child has to be shown as the mother. But since transgender has now been formally accepted as a gender and even such an option is given in all official records, the option of recording a trans father as the father in the official records could be even explored by the government.