Arkansas is stopping the use of an “X” for gender on driver’s licenses, state regulators announced on Tuesday. This change rolls back a policy that was meant to include nonbinary people.
The Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration stated that the modifications are being done to protect state IDs. The agency also revealed that it will make it harder for transgender individuals to update the gender listed on their ID.
Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) praised the announcement, drawing parallels between the ID changes and contentious conservative cultural topics.
“This policy just makes sense. Only women give birth, men shouldn’t participate in women’s sports, and there are only two genders,” she said in a statement. “As long as I’m Governor, Arkansas state government will not support foolishness.”
This move is part of a broader effort by Republican state governments to legally define gender as binary, a stance that contradicts the widely accepted academic understanding of gender and is criticized for completely disregarding the acknowledgment of transgender and nonbinary individuals. The changes also raise concerns for intersex individuals, who have physical traits of either both or neither gender.
There are roughly 1.2 million nonbinary or transgender Americans, according to a 2021 study. Nonbinary gender labels on driver's licenses are permitted in 22 states and the District of Columbia, and are accepted for federal IDs such as passports.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas denounced condemned the alterations on Tuesday, stating that they pose a threat to the safety and respect of transgender, nonbinary, and intersex residents of Arkansas.
“Accurate and consistent identity documents are crucial, enabling individuals to travel, secure employment, open bank accounts, and enroll in educational programs,” the organization stated. “For transgender individuals, having an ID that truthfully reflects their identity is not only a matter of respect but also essential for their safety and well-being.”
The statement further expresses strong opposition to the Governor and the Department of Finance and Administration’s (DFA) efforts to implement this regressive and harmful policy. It criticizes their failure to consider the significant impact that such measures will have on the lives of many Arkansans.
According to the DFA, only 342 out of the state’s over 2.6 million active driver's licenses use the “X” gender identifier, along with 174 out of 503,000 other state IDs. These IDs will remain valid until their expiration date, at which point holders will be required to select male or female for their documentation.
