California has legally recognised non-binary people for the first time
The first San Francisco Pride parade was in 1970 (Getty)
California has legally recognised non-binary people on official documents for the first time.
In May, the State Senate passed a bill which allowed people to choose a third gender on official forms like driving licences and birth certificates.
That bill was signed into law on Sunday by Governor Jerry Brown, making it official.
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The law – which means that in addition to ‘F’ and ‘M’, Californians will be able to choose ‘X’ – is set to come into effect in 2019.
Until this law was passed, Californians wanting to change their gender on government documents had to submit a physician’s sworn statement that they had undertaken medical treatment.
The Gender Recognition Act instead allows people to choose their identified gender without having to prove it physically.
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And the options will include a third choice, reading: “Non-binary”.
Democratic State Senator Scott Wiener, who co-authored the bill, welcomed its passage into law while taking aim at Donald Trump’s administration.
“With the passage of [Senate Bill 179] California continues its fight for a more inclusive society, even as some in Washington continue to try to take away rights from LGBT people,” he said.
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The other co-author, State Senator Toni G. Atkins, said the law would give a precious freedom to its recipients.
“With Governor Brown’s signature on this bill, transgender and non-binary people will now be able to identify themselves as they are, not as who society tells them they should be,” she said, according to Esquire.
On Twitter, Wiener added: “Gov signed our SB179: allows ppl to identify as non-binary, easily correct gender. Big win 4 notion ppl should be allowed to be who they are”.
He added: “Society forces people into boxes & tells us who we’re supposed to be. SB 179 helps people of all gender identities be their authentic selves”.
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Washington DC became the first US territory to hand out gender-neutral driving licenses and ID cards in June.
Oregon and California were making moves to recognise non-binary people, but DC flew under the radar to cross the finish line first.
Nic Sakurai, an agender Washington resident, was the first American to ever receive a gender-neutral identification form.
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They told CNN: “I don’t feel that sense of gender as something that is part of my core innate experience.”
“I’m glad to finally have an ID that actually matches who I am.”
And just two days later, Oregon’s law came into effect, making it the first US state to legally recognise non-binary people.
“This change in ID is a huge piece of validation for me,” J Gibbons, a non-binary, transgender Portland resident told The Guardian at the time.
A transgender protester (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
“The state of Oregon sees me for who I am,” the 26-year-old added.
“I don’t even think ‘excitement’ can capture all of my emotions about this change.”
In March, Patch, a 27-year-old video game designer from Oregon, became the first legally agender person in the US.
Patch, who does not use pronouns, also won the right to become mononymous – that is, to be known by a first name alone, with no surname.
