California state Senators Toni Atkins (D) and Scott Wiener (D) introduced SB 179 Thursday. The bill would add a third “gender” option to state documents such as driver’s licenses and birth certificates for those who do not identify as male or female. The bill would also make it easier for one to change state documents to reflect one’s current gender identity.
The Los Angeles Times reports:
[SB 179] would remove the requirement that an individual obtain a sworn statement from a physician certifying medical treatment for gender transition. It also would create a process for people younger than 18 to apply for a change of gender on their birth certificate.
As LGBTQIA activists praise the development, Senator Wiener proudly stated:
“As the LGBT community — but especially the trans community — is under assault in this country, California needs to go in the opposite direction and embrace the trans community and support the trans community and modernize these laws.”
This is a controversial move. In November, a Coloradan was denied a passport because they didn’t identify as either gender. According to Fox News: “Government lawyers argued that moving beyond two gender choices on federal documents would hamper officials’ ability to verify identities and backgrounds because they rely on state documents including drivers’ licenses and birth certificates with only male and female gender options.”
Setting aside the minuscule portion of the population who have genetic disorders, everyone is either biologically male or female. Every human male, whether or not they take estrogen and are surgically altered to appear female, has XY chromosomes. The opposite applies to human females. Regardless of feelings, DNA dictates that human beings are either male or female. Official documents should reflect that.
As stated above, the federal government relies on the accuracy of driver’s licenses, birth certificates, and other state documents for national security purposes. Discrepancies between state documents and passports, for example, could be exploited by individuals with nefarious purposes.
The state Senators who proposed this legislation are following in the footsteps of national Democratic leaders, who would rather placate their constituents in order to get votes than keep them safe. Just as the Democratic Party holds hands with Black Lives Matter, which has driven police officers away from proactive policing, resulting in crime spikes across the country, the California state legislators are placing the accumulation of power above the safety of their constituents.