Recognition of a third gender: a reason to celebrate

SB179, the Gender Recognition Act, defines nonbinary as an umbrella term for folks with gender identities that do not fit strictly as male or female or who do not identify with the gender they were assigned at birth. The bill has cleared the state Senate and is going through the Assembly.

Why does this matter? Because people who identify as nonbinary, when compared with the general population, face more verbal harassment, are denied services and confront the possibility of physical assault because they do not conform to expected gender roles. The abuse is more likely if the nonbinary person is a person of color or faces poverty.

Having a nonbinary gender marker matters because, as folks who exist outside of typical gender roles, it is their civil right to be accurately represented on identification. For nonbinary folks, who struggle to seek acceptance, having the state affirm their gender says, “We, as a community, see you, and we respect your self-determination.”

SB179 seeks to make it easier to affirm one’s gender by having a third gender marker on state-issued documents, such as driver’s licenses. It would allow minors to change their gender marker, and would not require a court appearance for a gender-changing court order nor require medical gatekeepers to confirm one’s gender identity. The Oakland-based Transgender Law Center is one of two co-sponsors.