A step in the right direction for improving the rights of transgender people and others in the LGBTQ community was taken in Saskatchewan on Thursday as the province's court allowed people to choose if they want to remove their gender marker from their birth certificate.

A news release from the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission stated "Saskatchewan has become the first jurisdiction in Canada where the Court has ordered Government to allow for the removal of gender markers on birth certificates."

"Currently, the Northwest Territories along with Newfoundland and Labrador allow for non-binary markers on birth certificates. Alberta has amended its legislation to allow for the implementation of non-binary markers. And, in May of 2018, Ontario began providing options for “M”, “F”, or “X” or removal of gender markers on birth certificates, including for minors. Saskatchewan, however, is the first province or territory in our nation where the Court has ordered to allow for the removal of gender markers on birth certificates."

A move that Joe Wickenhauser, Executive Director of Moose Jaw Pride, and many others are happy about.

"I think there's a lot of celebration in the community because its an unnecessary form of discrimination that only transgender people have had to undergo. People are really happy to see that this decision has been made and that people can go about their live in the way all of us can," Wickenhauser said. "People can now present their identification without worrying about being misgendered."

The move towards the removal of the marker began in 2014, when a complaint filed with the help of Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission got rid of the rule that transgender people needed to have gender reassignment surgery before a change in their birth certificate could be made. First, it made changing the gender marker easier for those who wanted to, now it allows them to remove the marker if wanted, and now allows people under the age of 18 to change the gender marking on their birth certificate.

"I think that's a great decision," Wickenhauser said. "I think it really solves a lot of the challenges that a lot of transgender people have been facing relating to gender markers because there is a lot of discrimination and harassment that people experience when they present a form of identification that has a gender marker that doesn't match who they identify as or how they express themselves."

Wickenhauser said this is an amazing step in improving the right of people in the transgender community, and says the next step to improving their lives could be creating a strategy for LGBTQ healthcare.

He explained that its not about special care, but about making sure that people in the LGBT community have access to basic healthcare and not having to wait 5 plus years for gender reassignment surgeries, which has caused a rise in suicides in the transgender community because of the long wait for the surgery not allowing people to be how they truly feel on the inside.

Another thing that Wickenhauser is happy about is that, unlike other places that require an "X" instead of an "M" or "F" in the gender marker, the choice to remove the marker allows people to not be targeted or feel uncomfortable with the letter "X" labeling them. One thing he wants to make clear though, is no one is enforcing people to change their markers. Its all personal choice.

"Its a huge moment not just for the LGBT or the transgender community but I think for our entire province and our entire country as we take this step forward."