Puerto Rico’s Supreme Court has ruled that nonbinary and gender-nonconforming individuals can now amend their birth certificates to reflect a third gender option, labeled as “X”. LGBTQ+ advocates across the island welcomed the news, calling it a meaningful step toward greater recognition and equality for diverse gender identities.

The decision stems from a lawsuit filed by six nonbinary plaintiffs who took legal action against the governor of Puerto Rico, the secretary of health, and other officials. Their goal was to secure the right to have their official documents match their true gender identity. With this ruling, those who do not identify strictly as male or female can now have their identity legally recognized on birth certificates.

LGBTQ Federation president Pedro Julio Serrano praised the court’s decision as historic. In contrast, Governor Jenniffer González Colón said she is awaiting a legal opinion from Puerto Rico’s Department of Justice before commenting in depth. The ruling builds on a previous 2017 U.S. federal court order that allowed transgender individuals in Puerto Rico to change their gender markers on birth certificates.