In a historic ruling, the Kerala High Court ordered authorities to list Ziya Paval and Zahhad, a transgender couple, as “parents” on their child’s birth certificate rather than as “father” or “mother.” This progressive decision respects the rights of the transgender community in matters pertaining to parenthood and recognizes gender diversity.
In 2023, Ziya and Zahhad gained notoriety as the first transgender couple in India to have a biological child. The couple had asked the Kozhikode Corporation to issue a birth certificate with the gender-neutral term “parents” even though Zahhad, a trans man, gave birth to the child. They went to the High Court after their application was turned down, though.
The case’s presiding judge, Justice V.G. Arun, stressed the importance of respecting the couple’s gender identity and expression, saying that official records shouldn’t conflict with one’s actual experiences. A significant victory for inclusivity and dignity in the legal system, the court’s ruling permits the couple to be simply referred to as “parents.”
The Kozhikode Corporation was also ordered by the court to provide a new birth certificate that supports the couple’s argument within a certain amount of time. This ruling is establishing a precedent for future cases involving LGBTQIA+ parenthood and is being celebrated as a turning point for transgender rights in India.
The ruling affirms transgender people’s fundamental rights and emphasizes the value of inclusive legal documents that represent actual family structures outside of the binary.
