Gender-Neutral DC Driver's License Possible

WASHINGTON, DC — DC residents might be able to choose a gender neutral identifier when they get a driver's license, learner's permit or local ID card as early as Monday, according to a statement from Ward 1 DC council member Brianne Nadeau, who is sponsoring the bill.

If passed, the legislation, "Nonbinary Identification Cards Amendment Act of 2017," will allow residents to indicate their gender as non-binary, designated with an "X" instead of an "M" or "F."

"The District has always sought to be a safe and welcoming place for our LGBTQ community, and today we are continuing to deliver on that legacy," Nadeau said in a statement. "Gender is a spectrum and some of our residents do not identify as male or female. Current licenses force residents to conform to genders that don't accurately reflect their identity."

>> For more local news, subscribe to Washington DC Patch's realtime breaking news alerts and daily newsletter.

Nadeau said she believes the current M or F options force residents to conform to genders that don't actually reflect their identity.

“It is important to have different ID options that respect gender diversity and do not feel oppressive to those of us who do not conform to the binary,” Dr. Zelaika Hepworth Clarke said in a statement. Dr. Clarke, a social worker at the DC Center for the LGBT Community, is among the many DC residents who challenges the gender binary.

This month, Oregon became the first state in the U.S. to allow more than two gender options on identity documents, following a court judgment in favor of a non-binary resident. A bill allowing for a non-binary option on state documents was introduced in January in California and has since passed the state senate.

Canada, India, Bangladesh, Australia, New Zealand and Nepal recognize non-binary genders on documents.

Patch reached out to Nadeau to check on the status of the bill and will update this post when we hear back from her.

Pixabay Photo