Judge ends Arizona's “irrational" surgery requirement for transgender birth certificates. A federal judge in Arizona has permanently blocked a policy that forced trans individuals to undergo gender-affirming surgery before they could update their gender markers on their birth certificates. The ruling, issued by U.S. District Judge James Soto, mandates that the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) must immediately cease enforcing the outdated policy. The ADHS has 120 days to comply with the ruling. Rachel Berg, a staff attorney for NCLR, stated: "We are thrilled that the Arizona Department of Health Services will be permanently enjoined from enforcing this irrational and overly burdensome requirement, and Plaintiffs will be able to amend their birth certificates to reflect who they are." Judge Soto has previously highlighted the harm caused by the policy which could force people in the trans youth community to live for years with incorrect documentation as not every transgen...