Trans man waits for ruling on birth certificate battle

A transgender man who has given birth but does not want to be described as “mother” on a birth certificate is waiting for a judge’s ruling after a High Court fight.

Freddy McConnell, a multimedia journalist who works for The Guardian, wants to be registered as father or parent.

Sir Andrew McFarlane is due to publish a ruling on Wednesday after analysing argument at a High Court trial in London.

Lawyers say the child will be the first person born in England and Wales not to legally have a mother if Mr McConnell wins.

They say other transgender men have given birth but have been registered on birth certificates as mothers.

Sir Andrew, President of the Family Division of the High Court, has heard how Mr McConnell is a single parent who was born a woman but now lives as a man after surgery.

Mr McConnell was biologically able to get pregnant and give birth but had legally become a man when the child was born.

A registrar told him that the law required people who give birth to be registered as mothers.

He took legal action against the General Register Office, which administers the registration of births and deaths in England and Wales, after complaining of discrimination.