(Newsweek) – Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers announced on Monday parents in his state will soon have gender-neutral options for identifying themselves on the birth certificates of their children.

Evers, along with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS), released a statement about the move, which will begin on July 1, 2021. The news release explained the birth forms used to generate birth certificates will include the new options “parent-parent” and “parent giving birth” in addition to the current “mother-father” choice for identifying parents.

In the statement, Evers wrote: “This change reflects my and my administration’s commitment to gender-neutral terminology and to recognizing that Wisconsin families are diverse and should be valued and respected. I am glad to see this change being made as we continue to update our state policies and procedures to better reflect the Wisconsinites we serve. The governor also shared the news on his official Twitter account, while noting the change comes during LGBTQ+ Pride Month.

As we celebrate #Pride, @DHSWI and I are excited to announce that, starting Thursday, Wisconsin parents will have a gender-neutral option for parents. This change reflects our continued commitment to recognizing that every family deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. — Governor Tony Evers (@GovEvers) June 28, 2021, READ MORE