Pick and choose

Health: Sex selection in New York City soon will be all about how he—she?—is feeling | Jamie Dean

New York City's department of health is expected to approve two controversial policies this month: One will prohibit New York City's 20,000 restaurants from serving food full of trans fats. The other will allow the city's residents to change the sex on their birth certificates if they believe they are transgender.

If both policies pass, New Yorkers won't be able to choose fatty fries from a menu, but they will be able legally to choose their gender without having a sex-change operation.

Supporters and opponents of the birth certificate plan agree it could set a precedent for similar changes in cities around the country. But opponents warn that the policy will hurt those who disagree with it, as well as the people it purports to help.