The state of Michigan is mulling over whether to add a new, “non-binary” option to their driver’s licenses, following the lead of more than a dozen states that have already made the “inclusive” move.
"The state is exploring the feasibility of adding a non-binary option when we upgrade our technology in 2021," Jake Rollow, a spokesman for Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson's office, told ABC News. “We are doing so after hearing from communities and people across the state who desire a way to identify themselves that reflects their reality.”
Rollow added that “at this preliminary stage, we don’t have additional information.” The state has already moved to streamline the process for transgender residents to switch their gender on their licenses from their biological sex to the one with which they identify by simply filling out a form, paying a marginal fee of about $10 and taking a new photo.
To date, 14 other states and Washington, D.C. have already included a “gender-neutral” option to their states’ driver's licenses. Most allow “non-binary” persons to choose to mark their gender with an “X” instead of the typical “M” for male or “F” for female.
(Cover Photo: Ted Eytan)