California will legally recognize a third gender on official state identification documents after Gov. Jerry Brown signed The Gender Recognition Act into law over the weekend, making it possible for residents to now list a non-binary gender category on driver's licenses, state issued IDs and birth certificates, USA Today noted.
This gender option is relevant to all people who do not exclusively identify as male or female.
"The Gender Recognition Act will eliminate unnecessary stress and anxiety for many Californians," said Sen. Toni Atkins in a statement released by Equality California.
"I want to thank Governor Brown for recognizing how difficult it can be for our transgender, nonbinary and intersex family members, friends and neighbors when they don't have an ID that matches their gender presentation," Atkins said.
It also streamlines the process of changing a person's gender marker or name on state-issued identification documents.
Tone Lee-Bias of Sacramento told SFGate.com that it was heartening to have government documents reflecting a person's gender identity.
"I've always accepted myself and I'm open and proud of my identity, but I feel like having an ID that reflects my gender and who I am means that it's not up for debate anymore," the 20-year-old said.
"It's a boost of confidence to be validated and affirmed by people who were willing to listen to us."
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