Oklahoma governor orders end to nonbinary birth certificates

By SEAN MURPHY
Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt is directing the Department of Health to stop issuing birth certificates listing a nonbinary option instead of designating a gender. The first-term Republican issued the order Wednesday, saying he never had a chance to review a settlement agreement in which the agency agreed to start offering nonbinary birth certificates. The agreement was reached after an Oregon resident who was born in Oklahoma sued to receive a nonbinary birth certificate. Stitt’s office declined to comment, with a spokeswoman saying the executive order speaks for itself. The executive director of Freedom Oklahoma, which advocates for the rights of nonbinary people, said she doesn’t believe the governor has the authority to overturn an agreement entered into in a court of law.