The Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV), the department responsible for distributing driver’s licences, has re-proposed a rule which would prevent the changing of gender markers on driver’s licenses.
The Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV), the department responsible for distributing driver’s licences, has proposed a rule which would prevent the changing of gender markers on driver’s licenses.
If implemented, it would leave trans people with no way to have the correct marker on their IDs. This would effectively out them any time they have to present ID.
This is in response to a state executive order stating that the state will only recognize "immutable male and female genders."
In July, the BMV proposed essentially the same rule. However, they retracted the proposal after a massive backlash.
Quoting from local organizer Sister Lilliana Young, who is also a candidate for statewide office:
“The written comment period received massive opposition to the change, and the public hearing went for 3 hours where dozens of people from across the state [spoke] against the rule change and in defense of the trans community.
In response to this, the BMV withdrew the proposal. (It must be noted that the state government did not provide a written transcript or recorded video of the hearing as they're required by state law to do)”
This recent proposal is the same as the last one, and would have the same effect.
Once again, the proposal has been condemned by civil rights groups in the state, including the local organization IYG.
“Denying individuals the right to change the gender marker on their ID is not only discriminatory – it is dangerous. In an increasingly hostile climate, mismatched identification can make people targets for harassment, threats, and violence. It can also result in barriers to employment, housing, and other services.”
Local groups have been mobilizing people to oppose the change, both in the form of written emails, and to show up for the public hearing on November 14th.
Sister Lilliana also stated,
“The goal here is simple: If we beat this before, we can and must do so again. My hope is that if we can get even greater pushback, we might be able to beat this for good.”