Texas to Trans Folks: "Sorry, Your ID's Stuck in the Past!"

Breaking: Texas Takes Aim at Trans Rights (Again) 😒

In the latest blow to the dignity of trans Texans, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has gleefully announced that they will no longer allow folks to change the designated sex on their driver's licenses. Because, you know, why should people have accurate IDs? 🤦‍♂️

An internal memo from Driver License Division Chief Sheri Gipson laid out the new policy: no more accepting court orders or amended birth certificates from people seeking to change the gender listed on their IDs. Apparently, clerical errors are the only valid reason for a change. How convenient.

Of course, no one from the DPS or Gipson herself could be bothered to respond to requests for comment from the American-Statesman. Maybe they were too busy erecting more bureaucratic barriers for trans folks. 🤔

Previously, the DPS website had a whole section detailing how to change your gender marker on your license. It even said, "If you want to change your gender, you must bring an original certified court order or an amended birth certificate verifying the change." But alas, that section has now vanished into thin air. 💨

"There are 92,900 trans adults in Texas," said Brad Pritchett, deputy director of Equality Texas, after KUT first reported the policy change. "Just like people who change their names after marriage want their correct name on their license, trans Texans want their driver’s license to reflect their gender." Shocking, right? 🙄

According to the Texas State Law Library, there isn't a clear law on changing one's gender marker, making the process "largely undefined" and "confusing and uncertain." Thanks, Texas, for the ambiguity. 👍

As if this wasn't infuriating enough, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sought information last year on people requesting to change their gender on state-issued documents. Now, the DPS is logging every request for a gender marker change, subjecting Texans to "involuntary surveillance" for simply trying to update a government document. 👀

Paxton has been on a crusade against pro-LGBTQ+ policies, including fighting against a Biden administration rule on gender protections and new Title IX interpretations. His office, unsurprisingly, didn't respond to a request for comment. Shocking, I know. 😰

During the 2023 legislative session, Republican state Sen. Charles Perry tried to make it even harder to change gender markers on state documents. His bill died in the House, but not before passing along party lines in the Senate. Yay, progress? 🙃

Other Republican-controlled states have also taken steps to limit a person's ability to change the gender marked on their driver's licenses. Can we just say it louder for those in the back? TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS. 🏳️‍⚧️

In Oklahoma, a 2021 executive order by Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt to prohibit nonbinary or gender-neutral birth certificates has been bouncing around federal appellate courts. Let's hope Texas' new policy meets a similar fate. 🤞