Oregon on Thursday (June 15th) became the first state in the country to allow residents to list "not specified" for gender on driver's licenses and identity cards. Under the rule approved by the Oregon Transportation Commission, people who choose the option will have an "X" on their license or ID card instead of "M" or "F". The Oregon DMV said the decision to have a "not specified" gender option came after a Multnomah County judge last year allowed a Portland resident to legally change from female to "non-binary" gender.
Hayley Gorenberg of Lambda Legal, a national organization that advocates for LGBT civil rights, said that when people's appearance doesn't seem to match their gender on ID cards they, quote, "endure insults and psychological trauma that could largely be averted if they had an option to use a gender marker that does not contradict who they are." The organization also said that people have been harassed and even assaulted after presenting IDs that don't match their gender identity or expression.