Arkansas will no longer allow the use of “X” for gender on driver’s licenses, state regulators announced Tuesday, reversing a policy targeting non-binary people.
The Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration said the change is being made to “protect” state IDs. The agency also announced it would make it more difficult for transgender people to change the gender listed on their identity documents.
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) celebrated the announcement and likened the ID change to a conservative culture war talking point.
“This policy is just common sense: only women can give birth, men shouldn’t play women’s sports, and there are only two genders,” she said in the paper. statement. “As long as I’m governor, Arkansas government will not stand for nonsense.”
The initiative continues a push by Republican state governments to legally mandate gender as a binary, a move that goes against common academic understanding of gender and completely erases the recognition of transgender and non-binary people. Critics say it’s erasing it. This change also raises concerns for intersex people who have sexual characteristics of both genders or neither gender.
According to a 2021 study, there are approximately 1.2 million Americans who identify as nonbinary or transgender. Non-binary driver license gender labels are allowed in 22 states and the District of Columbia and are supported on federal IDs, including passports.
American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas condemned The change “threatens the safety and dignity” of transgender, non-binary and intersex Arkansans, it said Tuesday.
“Accurate and consistent identification is a fundamental necessity to enable individuals to travel, secure employment, open bank accounts, and enroll in educational programs.” the group said in a statement. “For transgender people in particular, having an identity document that accurately reflects who they really are is not just a matter of dignity, it is critical to their safety and well-being.”
“We strongly oppose the Governor and the Department of Finance and Administration’s (DFA) attempts to implement this regressive and harmful policy,” the statement continues. “It is shameful that they do not consider the significant impact that such measures will have on the lives of many Arkansans.”
According to the DFA, only 342 of the state’s more than 2.6 million valid driver’s licenses use an “X” in the gender designation, compared to 174 of the 503,000 other state IDs. Adding. These IDs are valid until their expiry date and the holder must choose whether the document is male or female.
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