Nonbinary Identities: Oregon and Gender Neutrality

For many years, gender was thought to have existed in a binary that corresponds with one’s sex: male and female, boy or girl. While most people identify with the gender that they were assigned at birth, transgender and nonbinary people do not. As such, they may experience gender dysphoria which can lead to a myriad of psychological problems later in their lives.

We know now that gender is not a binary, but instead exists on a spectrum. Because of this, many people are moving away from traditional gender roles, such as men having to be strong providers and women having to cook, clean, and take care of her children. By abandoning traditional gender roles, many people can explore their gender identities and discover who they truly are.

A large step towards transgender and nonbinary equality has recently been taken. As of July 3rd, 2017, the Pacific Northwest state of Oregon began issuing gender-neutral driver’s licenses. Before this, many people who were struggling with their gender identity were forced to be placed in a group that they were not comfortable identifying as. With these new licenses, the letter X will be featured alongside M and F to signify a nonbinary option. According to a nationwide survey of 28,000 transgender people, one-third, or approximately 9,300, said that they identify as non-binary. By allowing a gender-neutral option on driver’s licenses, the state of Oregon validates individuals who identify as transgender or nonbinary. In addition to this, transgender and nonbinary individuals will have increased visibility which may aid in the fight for acceptance of transgender and nonbinary people. Although gender-neutral driver’s licenses are only available in Oregon so far, this is a giant step for transgender nonbinary rights, as this may lead Oregon to include gender neutral options on other identification cards and other states to allow a gender-neutral option on driver’s licenses.

So, how did this come about? On May 10th, 2017, there was a hearing in Portland to discuss the possibility of including a gender-neutral option in driver’s licenses. A year before this hearing, a Multnomah judge allowed an Oregonian Army veteran, Jamie Shupe, to legally identify as neither male nor female, which makes Jamie the first person in the United States to be legally recognized as nonbinary. This victory allowed nonbinary Oregonians to legally change their gender to neither male nor female, which allowed the gender-neutral option to break ground and snowball into a virtuous circle.

This seemingly small step is pivotal in achieving equality for people who identify as transgender or nonbinary as it helps break down barriers that were once placed by people who do not understand gender identity. This action taken by the residents of Oregon will not only allow people to be more comfortable with their gender identity but will also help normalize nonbinary and transgender identities and help people realize that gender is not the rigid, binary system that society has placed upon us but instead part of a spectrum. It is my hope that by taking this step, the fight for transgender and nonbinary rights will advance further so that we can all live in a more accepting society, free of prejudice and preconceived notions of what gender should be.

Originally published at TravelPRIDE.