New York State Introduces “X” Gender Option for Public Assistance Applicants

New York State will add ‘X’ gender option for public assistance applicants. (Photo: iStock/Nito)

New York health and public assistance agencies will implement an “X” gender option on their forms starting January 1, 2024, according to a recent court ruling. The measure allows applicants for these agencies’ programs, such as food stamps and Medicaid health insurance, to choose a non-binary designation instead of identifying solely as male or female, as reported by Fox News.

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The decision is the result of a 2021 lawsuit filed against multiple government agencies that alleged the state Office of Temporary Assistance and Disability’s computer system forced nonbinary people to lie under oath when declaring themselves as men or women. and denied them the benefits.

The New York Civil Liberties Union celebrated the decision as a major victory for non-binary New Yorkers. (Illustrative image Infobae)

“This is a huge victory for the thousands of non-binary New Yorkers who will be able to apply for public benefits without being forced to lie about their identity or risk being misidentified,” said Gabriella Larios, an attorney for the New York Civil Liberties Union ( NYCLU), in a statement prepared for the press.

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As reported by the local CNBC affiliate, this change will also allow the New York City Human Resources Administration to offer the “X” option on the forms, as stated by the NYCLU, which carried out the legal process as representative of several plaintiffs.

Thus, starting January 1, 2024, New York State public assistance forms will include the gender options “M” for male, “F” for female, and “X” for non-binary.

While identity documents, such as a driver’s license or passport, already had the option of X, the forms did not allow for non-binary designation.

It should be remembered that driver’s licenses and birth certificates in the state already allow a non-binary gender option. Additionally, starting in April 2022, U.S. citizens can select “X” as their gender designation on their passport applications.

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The State Office of Temporary Assistance and Disability, for its part, explained that the change will be made possible thanks to a software update that will cost several million dollars.

2023-10-06 16:46:00
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