New Jersey adds ‘X' gender option for driver's licences, ID cards

New Jersey has added an “X” gender option for driver's licences and identification cards for those who do not want to specify male or female, CNN reported on Tuesday.

The move comes as a wave of states has moved in recent years to allow for more gender identifiers on state documentation.

The US state has now joined at least 19 other states and Washington DC in allowing the "X" gender identifier on driver's licences and other identification.

The Motor Vehicle Commission said that the option is for residents who identify as nonbinary, as well as for those who do not want to indicate their gender on their ID.

"Diversity and inclusion are core values for New Jersey, and for all of us at the MVC," MVC Chief Administrator Sue Fulton said, adding, "We know this new option will be deeply impactful for many residents, as access to resources and the ability to live and work freely so often hinges on having documentation that correctly reflects your identity."

The commission planned to permit the “X” option late last year but delayed the change because of the Covid-19 outbreak. The change also entailed updates to the commission's computer system.

The push for an "X" option has been part of a long effort by the transgender community to provide for easier changes to gender markers on documents.

Correct gender identification on official documents helps protect the safety of transgender people and allows them better access to housing, employment or other public benefits, according to the National Center for Transgender Equality.

The story originally appeared on CNN