Canadian Man Legally Changes Gender to Receive Lower Insurance Rate

A man in Canada has recently changed his gender on his birth certificate in order to receive lower insurance rates.

The man, identified as “David,” from Alberta, Canada, legally changed his gender, because the car insurance rates are higher for men.

CBC reports, “According to the Insurance Bureau of Canada, men under 25 are generally at higher risk of collision than women of the same age, which means their premiums are often higher.”

Rather than pay $1,100 more for insurance, “David” took measures into his own hands: “David, who was 23 at the time, says he learned he first had to change his gender on his birth certificate and driver's licence before he could have it reflected on his insurance policy, to get the cheaper rate,” CBC says. 

After getting his doctor to write a note saying that “David” identified as a woman, a requirement at the time, he was able to change his gender legally and receive the lower insurance rate.

When his new birth certificate came in the mail, “David” was surprised: "I was quite shocked, but I was also relieved… I felt like I beat the system. I felt like I won.”

This practice of holding higher car insurance rates for men is something that has been banned in other countries. The European Union, in 2011, ruled that it “constitutes discrimination,” and is, therefore, no longer allowed to be a factor in determining insurance policies.

Referencing this experience and his new gender identity, he told CBC, "I'm a man, 100 per cent. Legally, I'm a woman… I did it for cheaper car insurance."

Publication Date: July 27, 2018

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