Member for Western Victoria Andy Meddick says he is hopeful proposed changes to transgender laws will pass for his son's sake.
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The change will mean Animal Justice Party's Mr Meddick's transgender son Eden will be able to change his gender on his birth certificate without undergoing surgery.
He said he believed this legislation was not just important for the transgender community, but the state as a whole.
"Trans people want to be in society like anybody else," he said.
"They want to get up in the morning, get ready, go to work and live a normal life being themselves without feeling like they have to hide.
"In Parliament we're passing laws all the time that might ban, restrict or regulate things, whereas this legislation puts the power back into the hand of the people."
Eden said he hoped the legislation would be the beginning of more acceptance.
"It's about not having to present as someone you're not," he said.
"Your birth certificate is involved in a lot of your papers for life and it doesn't feel good to be handing around something that doesn't say who you are.
"I'm no longer who it says on there, and I haven't been for a very long time, so why would I have to present as that person who's not there anymore?"
Currently, for transgender people to change their birth certificate, they have to undergo sex affirming surgery. The expensive and painful surgery is not covered by Medicare and often transgender people have to have the surgery overseas.
The Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Amendment Bill 2019 changes will allow applicants to self-nominate the sex listed in their birth registration as male, female, or any other gender diverse or non-binary descriptor of their own choice.
Children will also be able to apply to alter the sex recorded on their birth certificate with parental support and a supporting statement from a doctor, registered psychologist or another prescribed person confirming the decision is in the best interests of the child.
Similar legislation already exists in Tasmania, Western Australia, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory.
Warrnambool general practitioner Matt Birtels, who routinely sees transgender patients, said he supported the legislation change.
"As relatively smart people, doctors should be able to find ways around the relatively small differences that may exist," he said.
"If we ask the questions and go about things in an orderly way it doesn't have to create an issue.
"The positives for the people it involves outweigh any minor inconvenience we as doctors may go through."
While there will be some implications for the medical profession, Dr Birtels said the legislation would create a far more positive environment for the transgender community.
"As time goes on there will be problems around prostate or breast screening but we can find these issues out in other ways," he said.
"As long as we know what the situation is, we can adapt. It doesn't have to be a big barrier to care. It does have to be handled delicately but it doesn't have to be something we're afraid of.
"What's written on a bit of paper isn't everything but it's a really good place to start."
Mr Meddick said he hoped the upcoming debate would be a fair one encompassing the feelings of the transgender community.
"Trans people are in our communities, they vote and they deserve their voices to be heard as well," he said.
"I publicly make the call for the opposition, who voted against this Bill in 2016, to have a conscious vote on this.
"If Eden wasn't trans, I'd still be taking this standpoint. And while this may hurt my vote, that's not a consideration. This is the right thing to do."
If the legislation is passed, Eden said he hoped it would break down barriers against his community.
"Trans people have always been a thing since human beings have been a thing," he said.
"History tells people have done their best to erase people like me, so it's really good to bring this up and to say we are here.
"We are an average, everyday people. We're not scary and we're just a part of life. This legislation will be so much easier for me and my friends to present who they really are instead of presenting a name and a gender that isn't us."
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