Texas started preventing transgender individuals from altering the sex on their driver’s licenses one week ago. It has raised issues for which there are currently no solutions.
According to a Houston-based advocacy group, there are safety and privacy concerns in addition to the legal difficulty.
Those affected by the new policy could join a webinar on Wednesday to ask questions, hosted by a number of organizations. Legal teams are diligently searching for answers behind the scenes, despite the current dearth of information.
Regarding the change, Chloe Goodman of Equality Texas claimed it was “so vague as to create chaos and confusion. It is confusing. It is deeply concerning. It’s scary for a lot of people.”
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) states that “state agencies can’t ignore court orders” and that “not having an accurate driver’s license jeopardizes trans people’s health and safety” by putting them at risk of “discrimination, harassment, and violence.”
The Texas Department of Public Safety released the following statement: “The Office of the Attorney General has recently raised concerns regarding the validity of court orders… to change the sex of individuals in government records.”
They stopped taking requests on August 20.
Following the release of an email sent to DPS staff, the policy was made public. Additionally, it instructed them to gather data from anyone wishing to alter the gender and sex on their driver’s licenses.
Proponents advised transgender people to get legal counsel, hang onto court orders, and postpone changing their driver’s licenses for the time being.
Read Also: Stateville Prison Shutdown Leaves Employees Uncertain About Future Employment
“Everything is ending up on a list that we don’t know who has access to it, how it will be used,” Goodman stated. “We will be OK and we have each other’s backs.”
Before choosing a course of action, the ACLU’s legal staff is claimed to be closely observing the situation and weighing all available possibilities.
