Arkansas Finally Calls for Change in State IDs

Arkansas is DONE with GENDER NEUTRALITY

On Tuesday, the Arkansas Supreme Court struck down the state identity card option that allowed citizens to designate their gender as neutral.

 

The decision upholds a state statute that forbade the selection of “X” as a gender identity choice. Earlier this month, a lower court halted the law on the grounds that it would hurt citizens who identify as transgender.

 

In a statement released to the public on Tuesday, Republican attorney general for Arkansas Tim Griffin hailed the decision.

 

“I applaud the Arkansas Supreme Court’s decision to stay with the circuit court’s unlawful order and allow the Department of Finance and Administration to bring its identification rules into compliance with state law,” he said.

 

The prior court judgment that blocked the new regulation was the result of the Arkansas ALCU‘s lawsuit this spring to stop the legislation.

According to Holly Dickson, executive director of the ACLU of Arkansas, “The only real emergency here is the one created by the state itself, imposing this rule on transgender, intersex, and nonbinary Arkansans.”

 

“By removing the ‘X’ marker option, the state forces those who do not fit squarely into the gender binary to choose an inaccurate gender marker, resulting in potential confusion, distress, discrimination, physical harm, and a lack of proper identification,” she said.

 

The fact that less than half of US states accept “X” as a legal gender designation on identity documents reflects the mistrust that many citizens have for such laws. Now that Arkansas has removed this option, the policy is only in place in 21 states plus Washington, D.C. This change is indicative of a larger backlash against progressive identity politics and a return to more conventional principles in state administration.

 

Just 387 of the 2.6 million driver’s licenses that were currently in use in Arkansas had the “X” mark. Similarly, just 167 people chose to have the “X” marking on their state-issued IDs out of 503,000 total. These negligible figures demonstrate the low demand for this alternative, prompting concerns about its need and viability.

 

The people of Arkansas and their elected officials made the choice to do away with the “X” gender classification. The goal is to make sure that state policies reflect the common sense and pragmatic realities that the majority of Arkansans adhere to. The old binary gender system, which has been a fundamental component of society order, is preferred by the great majority of citizens.