Boston’s city council late last week unanimously passed an ordinance to adopt a nonbinary gender designation for all city forms, documents and certificates. The proposal came from councilors Liz Breadon and Michelle Wu, who brought the issue up for discussion back in November.
“It’s really important that all of the residents, regardless of their gender identities, feel accommodated and respected in the city of Boston. And I think this ordinance will move that situation forward,” Breadon told The Boston Globe, which reports:
The law, which still needs approval from Mayor Marty Walsh to take hold, also requires officials to submit a report to the council within 60 days after passage with an inventory of all forms that ask for gender and sex of an individual, that include a gender neutral option, and, if applicable, whether a binary gender designation is required under local, state, or federal law. …
“We know that legislation matters, words matter, and that legislation ultimately will help shift culture as well,” Wu said. “So we’re looking forward to the quick turnaround of having the full accounting, making sure we understand next steps, and that we are operationalizing what has long, long been a commitment by the City of Boston and the City Council to be welcoming, inclusive and stand for equity and equality for all.”
Councilors say the Boston ordinance will also help ensure the city complies with anti-discrimination laws.
The proposal builds on changes at other levels of government to have inclusive identification options on official forms.
Last year, the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles began offering driver’s licenses with a non-binary designation, joining at least 14 states and the District of Columbia who listed a gender-neutral option at the time.
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