Transgender plaintiffs denied birth certificate changes in Tennessee

A federal judge in Tennessee has dismissed a lawsuit filed by a group of transgender plaintiffs seeking to change the sex designations on their birth certificates. The plaintiffs argued that the 1977 law prohibiting such changes is unconstitutional and discriminatory. However, the judge ruled that the term "sex" on birth certificates has a narrow and specific meaning, referring to external genitalia at the time of birth. The plaintiffs had argued that "sex" should be defined by gender identity. Lambda Legal, which brought the lawsuit, criticized the ruling and said it was evaluating possible next steps.