The Kerala High Court has granted a groundbreaking legal victory to India’s first openly transgender parents, Zahhad and Ziya Paval, by directing that they be identified simply as ‘parents’—not ‘mother’ or ‘father’—on their child’s birth certificate.
On June 2, 2025, Justice Ziyad Rahman AA ordered the Kozhikode Corporation to issue a revised certificate using gender-neutral terminology, upholding the couple’s plea for identity-respecting documentation.
Zahhad, a trans man, gave birth to their child in 2023, with Ziya, a trans woman, as his partner. The original birth certificate listed Zahhad as “mother (transgender)” and Ziya as “father (transgender)”, a classification the couple challenged in court as inaccurate and potentially discriminatory.
Their petition emphasized the right to self-identification and the need for inclusive, non-discriminatory records. The High Court’s ruling marks a legal first in India, recognizing a family structure beyond traditional gender roles.
The verdict is being widely hailed as a milestone for LGBTQ+ rights, setting a powerful precedent for gender-neutral recognition of parents in official records, and affirming dignity, equality, and legal visibility for transgender families across the country.
