Who is Fausto Martínez? Mexico issues first birth certificate for person of “non-binary gender”

The Mexican state of Guanajuato issued the state’s first non-binary birth certificate after a judicial process to a person of non-binary gender. Mexico made history as a birth certificate with the non-binary gender has never been issued to any person before.

Fausto Martinez receives the first birth certificate of NB gender

Fausto Martinez becomes the person of non-binary gender to have a birth certificate in Mexico after the Civil Registry of Guanajuato. He is a 26-year-old activist, who obtained the certificate that now lists “NB” (non-binary) as a section of “sex”.

A credential to vote with the ‘NB’ specification started the process on September 24 last year. Fausto requested the National Electoral Institute (INE) for the same, which has a transgender protocol. Fausto and the Amicus association received the support of a judge on February 11. Previously the INE refused their request because there was no official document corroborating this genre. About half of the 32 states have laws allowing transgender people to modify their official documents to reflect their sexual identity.

Fausto Martinez reveals the reality

Furthermore, the Supreme Court ruled in 2018 that “gender identity is a critical component of people’s identities”. Therefore its recognition by the state is indispensable”.

Mexico is the second country in Latin America, behind Brazil, with the most violent crime against LGBTQIA+ people. The National Observatory of Hate Crimes LGBT from the Arco Iris Foundation brings this information to light. It is with this achievement that Fausto hopes to create changes like this one to combat discrimination. Fausto Martinez revealed that as long as violence exists, it contributes to the public discussion of the issue. As a result, they are polarized, both over the definition of gender and their understanding of it in general.

The number of murdered LGBTI people in Latin America and the Caribbean is 3,514 between the years 2014 and 2020. There were More than 1,400 homicides because of prejudice towards their sexual orientation or gender identity. The number of cases was 327 in 2019 and 351 in 2020, during the peak of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Nevertheless, this is the first time that the state granted a certificate to a non-binary person in Mexico. And it was in Guanajuato, a state that does not recognize gender identities.