FAQ

• Le changement de nom ou de mention de sexe s’effectue par demande envoyée directement au Directeur de l’état civil par la poste à l’adresse suivante :

  Service des modifications aux actes et des célébrants
  Directeur de l’état civil
  2535, boulevard Laurier
  Québec (Québec)G1V 5C6

• Les demandes de changement de la mention du sexe et de prénom.s s’effectuent à l’aide du même formulaire. Toutefois, pour changer un nom de famille ou un prénom sans changer sa mention du sexe, une demande d’analyse préliminaire doit être faite à l’aide du formulaire suivant :

  https://www.etatcivil.gouv.qc....

  Le Directeur de l’état civil fera ensuite parvenir, par la poste, le second formulaire à remplir, le cas échéant.

• Depuis le 17 juin 2022, il existe trois choix de mentions de sexe, soit « F » (féminin), « M » (masculin) ou « X » (non binaire)1. De plus, il n’est pas nécessaire d’avoir subi une intervention chirurgicale ou médicale ayant modifié ses caractères sexuels apparents et la structure de ses organes sexuels afin d’effectuer un changement de la mention du sexe.

La demande de changement de la mention du sexe et du nom pour les mineurs de 14 ans à 17 ans

La demande peut être faite par la personne elle-même. Ainsi, le mineur âgé entre 14 et 17 ans n’a pas besoin d’un parent ou d’un tuteur pour compléter sa demande.

Le formulaire suivant doit être rempli et transmis au Directeur de l’état civil:
https://www.etatcivil.gouv.qc....

La demande de changement de la mention de sexe, qu’elle soit accompagnée ou non d’une demande de changement de nom, doit être accompagnée d’une lettre d’un.e médecin, d’un.e psychologue, d’un.e psychiatre, d’un.e sexologue ou d’un.e travailleur.euse social.e qui déclare avoir évalué ou suivi la personne mineure visée par la demande déclarant que le changement est approprié.

La demande peut aussi être faite par un parent ou un tuteur avec le formulaire suivant : Demande de changement de mention de sexe d’une personne de 14 à 17 ans présentée par son parent ou son tuteur

La demande de changement de la mention de sexe, qu’elle soit accompagnée ou non d’une demande de changement de nom, doit être accompagnée d’une lettre d’un.e médecin, d’un.e psychologue, d’un.e psychiatre, d’un.e sexologue ou d’un.e travailleur.euse social.e qui déclare avoir évalué ou suivi la personne mineure visée par la demande déclarant que le changement est approprié.

La demande de changement de la mention du sexe et du nom pour les mineurs de moins de 14 ans

La demande doit être faite par un parent ou un tuteur, à l’aide du formulaire suivant : Demande de changement de la mention de sexe d’une personne de moins de 14 ans

Si le mineur a plus d’un parent ou tuteur, ceux-ci doivent être avisés de cette demande.

Si l’un des parents ou tuteurs s’oppose à la demande, le Directeur de l’état civil ne peut l’accorder et il faut alors présenter sa demande au tribunal puisqu’il s’agit alors d’une question contentieuse (voir la question 4 pour plus d’informations par rapport à l’opposition).

Comme pour les mineurs âgés de 14 ans et plus, la demande de changement de la mention du sexe, qu’elle soit accompagnée ou non d’une demande de changement de nom, doit être accompagnée d’un.e médecin, d’un.e psychologue, d’un.e psychiatre, d’un.e sexologue ou d’un.e travailleur.euse social.e qui déclare avoir évalué ou suivi la personne mineure visée par la demande déclarant que le changement est approprié5.

Une fois la demande transmise, le Directeur de l’état civil communiquera, par écrit, sa décision d’accorder ou de refuser la demande de changement de nom ou de la mention du sexe. Le délai d’obtention de cette réponse varie, mais la demande est généralement traitée dans les 90 jours. Cette décision sera motivée et envoyée à la personne qui a fait la demande, soit le mineur lui-même ou le parent ou le tuteur si le mineur est âgé de moins de 14 ans. La réponse sera également envoyée aux personnes qui s’y étant opposées et à celles ayant formulé des observations, le cas échéant. La demande peut être refusée si elle est incomplète, notamment si certains documents ou renseignements sont manquants.

En cas de désaccord avec la décision rendue par le Directeur de l’état civil, la personne ayant fait la demande peut s’adresser au tribunal pour faire réviser cette dernière, dans les 30 jours de la notification de la décision.

Si le Directeur de l’état civil décide d’accorder la demande, il transmettra le certificat de changement de la mention du sexe ou de nom à la personne qui a fait la demande, et il fera les inscriptions nécessaires au registre de l’état civil.

A gaff is an undergarment that is put on like regular underwear, but it is lined at the front to flatten the organs and give a smooth appearance.

To learn more about different types of gender-affirming gear, please visit our Gender Essentials program page!

In today's medical and legal realities, a doctor has to assign a sex designation to children when they are born. This designation is based on the child's genital anatomy. A child born with a vagina is assigned “F” at birth, while a child born with a penis is assigned “M.” This sex designation is considered as the gender identity of the person not only medically and legally, but also socially. For this reason, it's best to opt for the expression “assigned female/male at birth” and avoid expressions like “born in a female/male body,” “biologically female/male,” or “female who became a boy/man or male who became a girl/woman.”

Gender expression is the way we present our gender identity to the outside world. It can be shown through our behaviour, our clothes, our hairstyle, etc. Contrary to popular belief, someone’s gender expression is not a reliable indicator of their gender identity or sexual orientation. The only way to actually know someone’s gender identity is to know how they self-identify, which means knowing their intimate feelings about who they are, and the words they use to describe themselves

Gender identity is our deep sense of self. It's something that we feel inside of us — it's a very intimate and powerful feeling. This internal sense can be masculine, feminine, neither, a mix of both or any other variation. Gender identity also refers to the words we use to describe it (ex: man, woman, non-binary, etc.). The language someone uses to name this identity exists on a spectrum and can evolve over time. For instance, it can change through self-discovery and as ones vocabulary grows more diverse.

No, being trans is NOT a mental health disorder. "Gender Identity Disorder" (GID), was removed as a psychiatric diagnosis with the release of the DSM-5 in 2013, and removed by the World Health Organization from its diagnostic manual in 2019 after significant criticism from both academics & trans rights activists. While it's true that trans youth are disproportionately at risk of suffering from mental health issues, these problems are mainly caused by external discrimination. Social and family rejection as well as identity and gender expression-based violence can cause mental health problems, but being trans itself isn't one.

No. Transness and gender non-conformity exists and have always existed across many different cultures in all eras, all over the world. Some examples of culturally-specific gender roles and/or identities under the trans umbrella include: Two-Spirit, Hijra and Fa'afafine. Because colonial history has largely erased these communities from our history books, it's easy to believe the myth that trans identities are western trends! Today, there is greater visibility and better representation of our communities, which allows even more folks to recognize their trans identities.

A person who has the same gender identity as the one assigned at birth. For example, a person who was assigned female at birth and who self-identifies as a woman, is cis. This differs from a trans person, who has a different gender identity than what was assigned at birth.

Support and encourage your child to do so! Children might want to change their hairstyle or clothing for many different reasons - it doesn't necessarily mean they're questioning their gender identity nor making a statement about it.

If your child wants to explore their gender expression by changing hairstyles, that's okay too! This kind of exploration can be very important and meaningful to all children. Hair will always grow back and clothing styles often change over the course of ones life, regardless of gender identity.

A binder is an is an undergarment that is worn over the torso that compresses it to give the appearance of a flat chest.

To learn more about different types of gender-affirming gear, please visit our Gender Essentials program page!

Not at all, it's important to remember that medical transition is in no way necessary! There are lots of reasons why certain trans youth might not use hormones. While some trans people just aren't interested in taking hormones, others simply don't have access to them. This could be due to a lack of parental support, the high costs associated with the medication, or because of a shortage of gender-affirming medical care in the area. Your trans/non-binary identity is valid with or without the use of hormones!

No, you don't have to change your name! Some trans people may want to change their name because the name they used before doesn't feel right anymore, but that's not the case for everyone. Some trans people choose to keep their name, and others will only change their names with friends or family. You can change your name with some people and keep a different name with other people and that's okay too! You are free to do what what you want with your name.

Absolutely! The pronoun "they" is a valid gender-neutral, singular pronoun that is commonly used among English speakers around the world. There are also other gender-neutral pronouns, such as "ze", "sie" and "hir". However, keep in mind that there are non-binary people who use gendered pronouns (he or her) — this doesn't invalidate their trans or non-binary identities, though!

Transgender is an adjective. Saying "transgendered" puts trans identity in the past-tense (which is grammatically incorrect), and implies that trans people have had some kind of effect or condition imposed, or put on, to them. This language is both inaccurate and transphobic, as gender identity is not a condition nor is it something that "happens to you". Being transgender, or trans, is an identity and someone does not becomes "transgendered" in the same way we wouldn't say that someone is "gayed."

When referring to a process of transitioning genders (socially, medically, etc.), one can use the word transitioned, in sentences like :

"They transitioned last year."

"She transitioned."

"Before <insert name> transitioned, ... "

The word non-binary is both a specific gender identity as well as an umbrella term that covers several other identities. Non-binary identities are similar in that none of them fit the binary model of man/woman. Many people are not strictly men or women and have another identity, such as agender or gender neutral, for example. Best of all? These identities are all valid!

Being trans knows no age! Research shows that gender identity starts developing in early childhood for everyone. This means that people can begin questioning and identifying with a different gender identity than the one assigned at birth early on in life. So, it's possible to self-identify as trans and/or non-binary whenever we don't, or only partially, identify with our assigned identity at birth, even when we're very young.

There's no obligation to talk about your identity if you don't feel ready. Rest assured that you'll find people who will be proud of you and support you. If you're worried about sharing your identity, don't hesitate to reach out to someone you trust or a community resource!

No, being trans isn't just a new fad. Trans people have always existed. The reason why we may feel as if there are more and more trans people is simply because there are more trans people who feel safe to explore and express their gender identities openly. Thanks to a more welcoming social context, trans people and their families have access to more information, resources, and words that help them talk about name what they've been going through for ages and to find the support they need.