This year, California has faced the possibility of a dam break catastrophe and wildfires have hit our state hard. Furthermore, our state makes an attractive target for an increasingly belligerent North Korea.
But apparently nothing is as urgent for our legislators to address than transgender issues.
California lawmakers are in the middle of discussing a new bill that would introduce a third gender option to California IDs.SB179, the Gender Recognition Bill, would allow a third gender marker, “non-binary,” in addition to male and female on state IDs and legal documents.Ben Hudson from the Gender Health Center tells FOX40 how difficult it currently is to change gender on legal documents.He says this bill will break down some of the barriers that prevent non binary identifying people from living their truest lives.
This bill, which began its way in the state senate earlier this year and soon to be considered in the Assembly Appropriations Committee, would allow Californians to opt for a “nonbinary” gender marker on all forms of state identification, all in the name of “gender fluidity”.
That will make California the first state in the nation to fully depart from the rigid either/or categorization of gender, embracing a more fluid understanding of the term—at least on paper.Senate Bill 179, introduced by Democratic Sens. Toni Atkins of San Diego and Scott Wiener of San Francisco, has already cleared the Senate and is set to be considered soon in the Assembly Appropriations Committee. The bill would also make it easier for transgender Californians to legally change their designated gender on state documents, including minors who receive parental consent.“Nonbinary” is a catch-all category that includes those who are intersex (born with a combination of male and female biological characteristics) along with those who feel that neither category male nor female reflect their gender.
Several organizations, including the California Family Council, oppose the proposal.
“If you allow someone who is physically male to list themselves on a government document as a female, or vice versa, then the government will be legalizing a lie. That’s assuming we are still using the dictionary to define what a male and a female is,” CFC Director of Capitol Engagement Greg Burt testified before the California State Transportation and Housing Committee in April. “As state senators, I know you think you are powerful, but you do not have the authority to simply change the meaning of words just because you want to.”
However, if I were to bet, I would wager that this measure passes. It’s easier to place a new checkmark on ID forms than it is to deal with serious economic and infrastructure issues.
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