Leading the country as it often does with its left-wing policies, today Washington, D.C., is becoming the first jurisdiction in the nation to allow the option of “X” for gender choice on government-issued ID cards.
After a lobbying campaign led by the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) and aided by Whitman-Walker Health’s Legal Services, the D.C. Department of Motor Vehicles will now give license applicants three choices for their gender identifier — “M,” “F,” or “X”. The bill implementing the change, introduced by Councilmember Brianne Nadeau, had to amend a nearly century-old 1925 D.C. Traffic Act in order to do so.
The new policy was announced on Friday via a statement on the website of Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office:
Washington, DC has long been a leader in LGBTQ rights and gender issues, and this change is the most recent example of our city’s commitment to inclusivity. The safety and well-being of all Washingtonians is my top priority, and whenever we are presented with an opportunity to improve the lives of residents and better align our policies with DC values, I will take it. I hope to see other jurisdictions follow in our footsteps.
Amy Nelson, Director of Legal Services at Whitman-Walker Health, joined the mayor in her statement praising the new policy:
This is a truly cutting-edge development. We are thrilled that the District of Columbia is the first jurisdiction in the Nation to issue gender-neutral driver’s licenses and IDs. Whitman-Walker Legal Services was honored to work on this major step forward with the District Government and the National Center for Transgender Equality.
Jay Wu, NCTE’s Media Relations Manager who identifies as neither male or female and will be among the first to apply for a gender-neutral identifier, also applauded the change:
This new X gender marker is really important for people like me because it means that we are going to get licenses that are more accurate to who we are.
Next week, on July 3, Oregon will follow Washington’s lead and become the next state to add the “X” gender identifier. Jamie Shupe, an Oregon resident behind the state’s new policy, was the first person in the US to receive permission through a court order to become legally non-binary. “They” (Shupe’s preferred pronoun) was thrilled with D.C.’s move, saying, “DC, the place of my birth, has given me tears of joy by their actions.”
Not surprisingly, California will likely be the next state to adopt a similar bill — which is currently being considered in the state’s assembly. At this rate, it seems likely more blue states will follow suit in short order.
Changing the options for the fine print identifying someone’s sex on a government-issued ID may seem like just a minuscule detail. However, considered more broadly, it is yet another “cutting-edge” step allowing the LGBTQ movement to instill their ideology into every aspect of the law and culture.
