The influential American Medical Association (AMA), the country's largest organization of medical doctors, says that "male" and "female" gender markers should be removed from birth certificates.

In a report written in June and now being reported by the Washington Post, the group says that assigning children a gender at birth "fails to recognize the medical spectrum of gender identity."

"Participation by the medical profession and the government in assigning sex is often used as evidence supporting this binary view" of gender, the report continued. Not only does that stifle a person's ability to express and identify themselves, it can lead to "marginalization and minoritization."

For LGBTQ advocates, the AMA recommendation may be a significant step in acknowledging Transgender and nonbinary people. But some activists urged caution.

Moving away from sex designations, as the AMA recommends, is "deeply exciting," according to V. Varun Chaudhry, an assistant professor of women's, gender and sexuality studies at Brandeis University.

Removing gender markers from birth certificates doesn't just acknowledge the "diversity of bodies" that exist on the gender and sex spectrum, they said, but it could also remove a major barrier gender-nonconforming people confront when trying to participate in society.

Chaudhry pointed specifically to children growing up now whose identities don't align with their birth certificate.

Nevertheless, "people are still really committed to a binary sex model," Chaudhry warned.

This includes conservative lawmakers who have moved to ban Trans and nonbinary children from receiving health care and participating in youth sports, they added.

"The recommendation may say sex is not important for something like a birth certificate, but if people are still committed to a binary sex model, they find other ways to determine those things," Chaudhry said.

In fact, the report itself has become the object of a social media campaign by right-wing forces condemning the AMA.

For example, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, a possible Republican presidential candidate in 2024, tweeted that it was "the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard."

Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL) also responded, tweeting, "Is this 'The Science' we are supposed to be trusting?"

Birth certificates are issued by medical providers and not the government, but they play an important role in establishing a person's identity and allowing them to work, travel, or get married.

They are required to get passports or driver's licenses, and for registering for school, adoptions, employment, or marriage.

This is a problem for nonbinary or Trans people, whose gender identities don't match the sex assigned on their birth certificate. According to a study released in June by the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law, about 1.2 million nonbinary LGBTQ adults live in the United States.

Most states allow for people to change the gender markers on their birth certificate to reflect their gender identity, but the process can vary greatly from state to state. Fifteen states allow people to use a gender-neutral "X" when a baby is born.

Even if amending a birth certificate isn't costly, it can be time-consuming, and often requires institutional knowledge — being familiar with the process or knowing someone who can guide you through it.