Oregon citizens may soon be able to identify themselves as neither male nor female on their driver’s license, but rather as a third, non-binary gender, Reuters reports.
The Department of Motor Vehicles does not need approval from the state legislature, as this only calls for a change in administrative rules, DMV spokesman David House told Reuters.
Oregon’s DMV has held two hearings in Eugene and Portland about the change. In Portland, about a dozen people verbally supported it, while no one spoke against the third gender option.
The idea behind a third gender option began last June, when Army veteran Jamie Shupe appeared before Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Amy Holmes Hehn. Hehn granted the change of the retired sergeant’s gender from female to a third, non-gender option.
Since then, Oregon’s DMV has been investigating gender laws and how to incorporate a third gender option into the system.
Many public comments are in support of the change, though some question the necessity of a third gender option, as well as the criminal complications if the police need to identify someone.
House expects for the third gender option to be available on all state driver’s licenses and identification cards by the end of July.
Instead of appearing as an “F” or “M,” on Oregon’s IDs, people who identify as the third option will be given an “X.”