LGBTQ+ Advocates Celebrate Availability of X Marker on Illinois Driver’s Licenses and State ID Cards

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friday, March 28th, 2024

CHICAGO – Two days before the Trans Day of Visibility on Sunday, LGBTQ+ community advocates and legislative sponsors celebrated that trans and gender-expansive individuals in Illinois can now select a gender-neutral X designation on their drivers’ licenses and state ID cards.

“At a time when anti-equality forces are attacking trans people through policy and with physical violence, the X marker on a driver’s license or state ID card will help trans and gender-expansive individuals live authentically,” said Myles Brady-Davis, Equality Illinois Director of Communications. “We thank Rep. Stava-Murray and Sen. Castro for sponsoring the legislation and Secretary of State Giannoulias and his team for getting this done. We especially thank the fierce trans advocates and organizations that kept pushing and pushing to ensure the X marker became available as soon as possible. Thanks to our collective advocacy, Illinois continues to move forward.”

“At the Transformative Justice Law Project of Illinois, we believe that everyone has the right to gender self-determination. Ultimately we hope for and are working toward the day when gender markers no longer exist on identification. Under the current system, having a gender marker that reflects who you are, inclusive of the X gender marker, can provide dignity and affirmation for many trans, non-binary and intersex individuals.

We hold both truths that advances in recognizing wider identities provide a pathway for individuals to feel affirmed and these are not yet without constraints or repercussions within the state. We encourage every individual to make the choice that is best for them with updating their identity documents,” said the TJLP Staff and Board of Stewards.

Twenty-one other states plus the District of Columbia provide the option of the X marker on driver’s licenses and state IDs. Individuals in Illinois who want to update their driver’s license or state ID card must take their completed Gender Designation Change Form (ilsos.gov) and the applicable fee to a DMV office in Illinois.

The initiative was advanced in Illinois by Public Act 101-0513, which was sponsored by State Rep. Anne Stava-Murray and State Sen. Cristina Castro in 2019. While the X marker was held up for almost five years by technology issues at the Office of the Illinois Secretary of State, current Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias prioritized implementation.

State Rep. Stava-Murray (D-Naperville) said, “In 2019, I proudly sponsored legislation to create an ‘X’ designation for Illinois state IDs and driver’s licenses. Together, we got the bill across the line, and today these designations are available for everyone in our state whose gender identity doesn’t match pre-existing definitions. Together, we’re continuing to move Illinois forward for everyone, and I’m not done fighting to make sure we keep progressing.”

“Gender-expansive folks have waited long enough for government programs and services to offer them options that align with their identities and reflect who they truly are,” said State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin). “This is an important step forward for Illinois, and as many of our neighboring states keep trying to move the needle backward, we will continue upholding the rights and dignity of all who call our state home.”

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