Hawaii set to include gender X on state driver’s licenses

HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii will soon provide drivers the option to select “X” as their gender on licenses.

Democratic Gov. David Ige was expected to sign the bill aimed at reducing discrimination against transgender and gender fluid people, Hawaii News Now reported Tuesday.

The gender X option is for drivers who prefer not to identify as male or female, officials said.

Hawaii will be the ninth state to offer the gender X option on driver’s licenses.

The bill also protects residents from being forced to provide documentation such as a birth certificate or other means of proof when selecting gender X, officials said.

“This measure returns us closer to the inclusive society of Native Hawaiians, which celebrated expressions of gender beyond masculinity and femininity,” said Khara Jabola-Carolus, executive director of the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women.

The passage of the bill demonstrated that transgender and gender-nonconforming lives matter in Hawaii, said campaign organizer Jen Jenkins.

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Information from: KGMB-TV, http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/