Outrage: wOKe Health Dep't adds "nonbinary" birth certificates

As first reported by NonDoc, the Oklahoma State Department of Health has "formalized a process for designating someone’s sex as nonbinary on birth certificates." The move comes after OSDH settled a federal lawsuit filed by a transgender activist who was born in Oklahoma but now lives in Oregon.

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Jackie Shawnee, chief of staff for Oklahoma Commissioner of Health Dr. Lance Frye, explained the new process for amending birth certificates in a statement to NonDoc. 

“Requirements for legally changing the sex designation on an Oklahoma birth certificate have changed,” Shawnee said. “In order to legally change the sex designation on an original Oklahoma birth certificate, you must obtain a court order from an Oklahoma court. A certified copy of this court order must be presented to (the) Oklahoma (Office of) Vital Records before an amended birth certificate can be issued.”

This unscientific, illogical, and insane move has sparked sharp criticism this morning. Below are comments from Governor Kevin Stitt, House Speaker Charles McCall, and State Senator Micheal Bergstrom (who has now filed legislation for birth certificates to reflect the scientific fact of either male or female). Updated to add a statement from Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat.

Welcome to the woke spirit of the age. When God is dethroned and truth no longer matters, anything goes.

GOVERNOR STITT DENOUNCES ROGUE OSDH COURT SETTLEMENT

OKLAHOMA CITY (October 21, 2021) — Today Governor Kevin Stitt released the following statement: 

“I believe that people are created by God to be male or female. Period. There is no such thing as non-binary sex and I wholeheartedly condemn the purported OSDH court settlement that was entered into by rogue activists who acted without receiving proper approval or oversight. 

“I will be taking whatever action necessary to protect Oklahoma values and our way of life.”

STATEMENT: Speaker McCall Responds to OSDH Birth Certificate Case 

OKLAHOMA CITY – House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, released the following statement today:

 "Unelected employees in the executive branch of government have no authority to make decisions of this magnitude. The vast majority of elected House members expect the governor, as the elected leader of the executive branch, to immediately take executive action to follow through on his pledge to undo this. This executive branch agency acted outside its scope of authority, and now the governor, as the leader of that branch of government, must correct it immediately through executive order."

Bergstrom files bill tightening birth certificate gender requirements 

Sen. Micheal Bergstrom, R-Adair, filed SB 1100 on Wednesday, which would require male and female to be the only options on birth certificates to identify a child’s sex at birth. 

“I was assured by the State Department of Health a couple months ago that they had no intention of adding another sex option to birth certificates, but they recently approved a non-binary option,” Bergstrom said. “We’re at an odd time in history where people are seemingly forgetting science and biology and casting common sense out the window. When babies are born, they are either born male or female based on their chromosomes and genitals. Allowing anything else to be listed on a birth certificate is ludicrous, and it’s time we clarify this in our statutes.” 

If passed by the Legislature and signed by the governor, the sex or gender designation on a birth certificate shall be either male or female, meaning nonbinary or any symbol representing a nonbinary designation, including, or not limited to the letter “X,” cannot be used on the birth certificate. 

All measures for the upcoming legislative session must be filed by Thursday, Jan. 20. The Second Session of the 58thLegislature will convene on Monday, Feb. 7 at noon.

Pro Tem Greg Treat responds to OSDH court settlement on birth certificates 

OKLAHOMA CITY - Oklahoma Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, issued the following statement Thursday in response to a Oklahoma State Department of Health court settlement on birth certificates: 

“The authority to institute policy changes of this magnitude rightly belongs within the legislative branch, the branch of government closest to the people. Executive branch agencies should not attempt to legislate or make substantive policy changes like this through rulemaking or court settlement. This is an egregious example of executive overreach that should be corrected as soon as possible.”