NEW YORK — New Yorkers will soon be able to choose an “X” gender option when applying for food stamps, Medicaid and other public assistance, according to a court settlement Wednesday.
The settlement resolves a 2021 lawsuit against multiple government agencies that claimed the state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance’s computer system forces nonbinary people to lie under oath declaring themselves as male or female or be denied benefits.
Under the agreement, state health and public assistance agencies will make “X” gender markers available on applicable forms by Jan. 1. It will allow the New York City Human Resources Administration to offer “X” gender markers on forms by January 1. , according to the New York Civil Liberties Union, which purchased the lawsuit on behalf of several plaintiffs.
“This is a huge victory for the thousands of nonbinary New Yorkers who will be able to seek public benefits without being forced to lie about their identity or risk being misunderstood,” NYCLU attorney Gabriella Larios said in a prepared statement.
That type of non-binary gender option is already available on New York driver’s licenses and birth certificates.
A call seeking comment was made to the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance. The agency said when the lawsuit was filed that a multimillion-dollar software update would allow the additional gender option.
2023-10-05 04:17:41
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