Kozhikode: In a significant development over rights of third gender, the first transgender parents in the country have moved the Kerala High Court seeking directions to the authorities to indicate their names in the birth certificate of their children as just 'parents' instead of 'father' and 'mother'. It is learnt that transman Zahhad and transwoman Zia Paval, the country's first transgender parents, approached the High Court demanding that they should be called 'parents' instead of being recorded as father and mother separately.
Also read: Kerala HC asks CBSE to respond to trans gender's request
The couple has sought court direction to the Secretary, Kozhikode Corporation, to issue a new birth certificate for their child. While hearing the plea, a bench of Justice N. Nagaresh sought the government's position on the matter and adjourned the matter to July 27. The couple approached the court after Kozhikode Corporation issued a birth certificate stating the father's name as Ziya Paval (transgender) and the mother's name as Sahad (transgender) under section 12 of the Kerala Registration of Birth and Death Rules, 1999.
The couple said that they had approached the Corporation for the rectification, but to no avail compelling them to approach the HC. The plea states that recording the name of the father and mother may cause technical problems in the child's school admission, Aadhaar document and passport. The baby was born to a transgender couple in Feb. this year at Kozhikode Medical College.
Zahhad and Ziya Paval, natives of Ummalathur, Kozhikode district have been living together for the past three years. Wanting their lives to be different from other transgenders, they thought of having a child. As part of the transition process, both underwent hormone therapy.
