Oregon may soon become the first state in the nation to offer a third gender option on its state IDs – an acknowledgment that validates transgender identities.
As of now, someone seeking a driver’s licenses in the state has two options to pick from when it comes to stating sex: male or female.
The third option — a nonbinary gender — will be reflected with an X.
The Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles is adopting the change while a bill, making it easier for transgender people to change their identity on birth certificates, passed the Legislature. That bill is headed to the governor’s desk.
Supporters applauded the move.
Updating personal documents to reflect name and gender changes is critical to reducing discrimination, Basic Rights Oregon said in a statement. About 20,000 Oregonians identify themselves as transgender
Last year, a Oregon judge ruled that Army veteran Jamie Shupe could legally change gender from female to nonbinary.
California also is considering a bill that would allow individuals to obtain a birth certificate to include nonbinary.
If approved, the law could go into effect by summer.
