Oregon Driver's Licenses to Undergo a Novel Change

Jamie Shupe expects to stand out front of an Oregon DMV early next month and cry. And not for the reasons you'd expect. Shupe intends to be one of the first to take advantage of what is a first for America: a change to Oregon's driver's licenses that make "X," or non-specified, available as a gender option alongside "M" for male and "F" for female. The new policy represents a unanimous move Thursday by the Oregon Transportation Commission, reports Reuters, and goes into effect July 1. The Oregonian reports those who want the new license will have to pay a replacement or renewal fee.

The news comes almost a year since an Oregon court ruled that Shupe is officially and legally neither male nor female but non-binary; the Army veteran was assigned the male gender at birth but never felt that fit. Neither did female, though Shupe began transitioning in 2013. Reuters reports that ruling triggered a review of how to facilitate the addition of a third option in the state's computer systems. (More transgender stories.)