US: Male, Female or ‘X’: The Push for a Third Choice on Official Forms

Charlie Arrowood does not identify as male or female. So in January, when a new New York City law takes effect, they plan to modify the sex recorded on their birth certificate to one that fits: “X,” a gender-neutral option.

Mx. Arrowood, who is transgender, changed both their name and sex on the certificate last year. But putting “male” instead of “female” on the document did not feel quite right either.

(Charlie Arrowood uses the pronoun “they” and the courtesy title “Mx.,” a gender-neutral alternative to Ms. and Mr.)

Addressing the issue with an “X” on the birth certificate, however, creates another snag.

The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles offers only the options “M” and “F.” So do the federal agencies that administer passports and Social Security.

Yes, this can be very confusing.

“It doesn’t make sense,” Mx. Arrowood, a lawyer for the transgender advocacy nonprofit Transcend Legal, said last week. “You can’t keep accurate records if you don’t have an accurate representation of someone.”

As Americans’ views on gender shift, laws are changing across the country to give people more power to define themselves on the official documents that tell the world who and what they are — but only in some places, in some cases.


Read more via New York Times


RESOURCES: NON-BINARY GENDER. INTERSEX.

Compiled by Intersex & Genderqueer Recognition Project

Gender identity and gender presentation are components of "sex" -- along with other components like sex chromosomes, genitals, internal reproductive organs, hormones,  etc.-- It is gender identity that determines what a person's legal sex is.

The laws for non-binary gender markers are changing quickly, and have been granted to at least one person in each of the following 12 jurisdictions: AR, CA, CO, D.C., ME, MN, NJ, NYC, OH, OR, UT. and WA. This information last updated 10/20/2018.  See Intersex Recognition for latest updates

Alabama

Gender change allowed on State ID to Male or Female only

Alaska

Gender change allowed on State ID to Male or Female only​

Arizona

Non-binary ID and Death Certificate bills in the legislature (See HB-2492 and HB-2582)

Arkansas

Non-binary ID allowed (without the knowledge of the public) since 2010.

At least 2 people have been granted non-binary licenses in 10/2018

California

Non-binary court order gender changes have been granted since 9/26/2016

Non-binary birth certificate starting 1/1/2018 per SB-179

Non-binary court order gender changes starting 9/1/2018 per SB-179

Non-binary driver's license/ID available starting 1/1/2019 per SB-179

Gender-neutral bathrooms required under state law 

Intersex recognition under state law since 1/1/2015 under AB-496

Resolution to stop Nonconsensual Cosmetic Surgery on Intersex Infants PASSED 8/31/2018 (SCR-110)

Colorado

First birth certificate listing "intersex" granted at the state level 9/19/2018

Connecticut

Gender change allowed on State ID to Male or Female only

IGRP coalition task force working on getting non-binary state ID and intersex protections

Deleware

Gender change allowed on State ID to Male or Female only​

D.C.

Non-binary driver's license/ID available

Non-binary birth certificate granted to at least one person (single Birth Cert “unknown”)

Florida

Gender change allowed on State ID to Male or Female only

Georgia

Gender change allowed on State ID to Male or Female only

Hawaii

Gender change allowed on State ID to Male or Female only

Driver's License/Birth Certificate Resolution in Legislature - WITHDRAWN (HR208/HCR240)

Idaho

Gender change allowed on State ID to Male or Female only

Bill in the legislature to remove sex/gender from Voter Registration  ​

Illinois

Gender change allowed on State ID to Male or Female only

Indiana

Gender change allowed on State ID to Male or Female only

HB-1242 to outlaw IGM, failed

Iowa

Gender change allowed on State ID to Male or Female only

Kansas

Gender change allowed on State Driver’s License to Male or Female only

Kansas specifically prohibits amending sex on a birth certificate

Kentucky

Gender change allowed on State ID to Male or Female only

Louisiana

Gender change allowed on State ID to Male or Female only

Maine

Non-binary Driver's License sticker available starting 6/11/2018

Stickers will be replaced with actual non-binary licenses starting 7/1/2019

Maryland

Non-binary driver's license/ID bill in the legislature - WITHDRAWN 3/17/2018

IGRP coalition task force working on getting non-binary state ID

Massachusetts

Non-binary driver's license/ID bill (S.2562) passed Senate 6/28/2018

IGRP coalition task force working on getting non-binary state ID

Michigan

Non-binary birth certificate granted to at least one person (2012 single Birth Cert “unknown”)

IGRP coalition task force working on getting non-binary state ID

Minnesota

Non-binary Drivers' License/ID available as of 1/10/2018 "Real ID" roll-out.

Mississippi

Gender change allowed on State ID to Male or Female only​

Missouri

Gender change allowed on State ID to Male or Female only​

Montana

Gender change allowed on State ID to Male or Female only​

Nebraska

Gender change allowed on State ID to Male or Female only​

Nevada

Gender change allowed on State ID to Male or Female only

SB-408 to outlaw IGM, failed

Non-binary Birth Certificate may have been granted to Nevada-born citizen of Utah based on a 9/26/2018 Utah court order.

New Hampshire

Gender change allowed on State ID to Male or Female only​

New Jersey

S478/A1718 PASSED 7/3/2018 allowing "undesignated/non-binary" marker on birth certificate

New Mexico

Gender change allowed on State ID to Male or Female only

New York

Int 954-A PASSED 9/12/2018 Non-binary "X" on New York City birth certificates (additional press

12/29/2016 First Known Intersex birth certificate in the U.S. granted in New York City

IGRP coalition task force is working on getting non-binary New York state birth certificates

(note: New York City and New York State have separate departments handling birth certificates)

Non-binary driver's license/ID bill in the New York state legislature - A08524

North Carolina

No gender change allowed on state ID

North Dakota

Gender change allowed on State ID to Male or Female only

Ohio

Gender change allowed on State Driver's License to Male or Female only

No gender change allowed on a birth certificate, however a birth certificate gender change to "hermaphrodite" granted to an intersex person in 2012. See In re Ladrach, 513 N.E.2d 828 (Ohio Prob.,1987) stating "a `birth certificate' is an historical record of the facts as they existed at the time of birth."

Oklahoma

Gender change allowed on State ID to Male or Female only

No specific gender correction provision for birth certificates​

Oregon

Non-binary court order gender changes have been granted since 6/16/2016 (first in the U.S.)

Non-binary driver's license/ID available since 7/1/2017

Non-binary birth certificate available since 1/1/2018 per HB-2673

Pennsylvania

Gender change allowed on State ID to Male or Female only​

Rhode Island

Gender change allowed on State ID to Male or Female only

IGRP coalition task force working on getting non-binary state ID

South Carolina

Gender change allowed on State ID to Male or Female only

No specific gender correction provision for birth certificates

South Dakota

Gender change allowed on State ID to Male or Female only

No specific gender correction provision for birth certificates

Tennessee

Gender change allowed on State Driver’s License to Male or Female only

Tennessee specifically prohibits amending sex on a birth certificate

Texas

Gender change allowed on State ID to Male or Female only

No specific gender correction provision for birth certificates, and they are often denied

SB-1342 to outlaw IGM, failed

Utah

First non-binary State ID granted by court order on 9/26/2018.

Vermont

Non-binary driver's license/ID coming  ... no later than July 2019.

Gender-neutral bathroom bill in the legislature (H.333)

Virginia

Gender change allowed on State ID to Male or Female only

Washington

Non-binary birth certificate available starting 1/27/2018 (via WAC 246-490-075)​​

West Virginia

Gender change allowed on State ID to Male or Female only

Wisconsin

Gender change allowed on State ID to Male or Female only

Wyoming

Gender change allowed on State ID to Male or Female only