Colorado adds ‘X’ gender option to driver’s licenses

Colorado is adding an “X” gender option to driver’s licenses in the state for nonbinary or transgender people who do not identify as male or female, The Denver Post reported.

The Colorado department overseeing the Division of Motor Vehicles decided to make the change in order to align its practices with two recent court cases in Colorado that ruled in favor of the gender signifier, the Post reported. Starting on Nov. 30, Colorado drivers will be able to choose X rather than male or female. 

{mosads}Those who want to choose X in Colorado must fill out a form and obtain a signature from a medical provider or mental health counselor. 

California, Oregon, Minnesota, Maine and Washington, D.C., already offer the X gender option for driver’s licenses. 

The move is considered a win for LGBTQ advocates in Colorado, but the new policy has more requirements to identify as X than in other states. Oregon and California do not require a signature from a medical professional.

“This is an important step for the state of Colorado that the state documents reflect our values,” Colorado Department of Revenue Executive Director Michael Hartman told the Post. “People are people no matter their sex identification.”

He added the Division of Motor Vehicles could have been sued if they did not make the change. Hartman it said it is an easy change that will not cost taxpayers any money.

Daniel Ramos, executive director of LGBTQ advocacy organization One Colorado, told the Post that the move is affirming for those who identify outside of the gender binary. He said it will likely reduce the amount of discrimination that nonbinary and trans people face when they seek driver’s licenses and other forms of government identification.

“It’s an incredibly affirming process when a person’s identification reflects their name and their gender,” Ramos told the paper. “They no longer have the fear or anxiety of being rejected by a clerk or teller or anybody else.” 

The change comes as Colorado weighs whether to include a third option for gender on birth certificates.