Saskatchewan residents can now choose an undesignated marker (“X”) for the sex designation field of their SGI driver’s licences and photo identification cards.
“An X designation means sex is not specified. Anyone of any age can make this selection on their SGI driver’s licence or photo ID card upon request,” SGI said in a news release issued Monday. The change took effect the same day.
“SGI is committed to inclusiveness,” said Penny McCune, chief operating officer of the Auto Fund, said in the release. “We recognize that some of our customers wish to refrain from identifying as either female or male or any gender at all on their identification. Customers now have the flexibility to designate their sex on their ID with an F or M, or choose a non-gendered option by indicating X.”
SGI’s move follows a a Saskatchewan Court of Queen’s Bench ruling in May of 2018 that called for the Saskatchewan government to issue birth certificates without a sex designation to two minors who requested them.
“As a provider of government-issued identification, SGI’s move towards offering an X designation — along with the binary designation options (F or M) — is in keeping with that ruling,” notes the release.
The policy change brings SGI into alignment with other provinces, including Alberta, Ontario, and Newfoundland and Labrador.
“As conceptualizations of gender and sex evolve across Saskatchewan and the world, a move to an unspecified option means that all people — whether they’re transgender, non-binary, or simply people who don’t think their gender needs to be on their IDs — will be able to have identification that most accurately represents who they are,” Jacq Brasseur, executive director of the UR Pride Centre for Sexuality and Gender Diversity in Regina, said in the release. “Saskatchewan is following the great move of other jurisdictions, and we’re excited to see this change.”
No documentation is required to change to an X designation and there is no charge for driver’s licence or photo ID cards to make this change. SGI customers simply need to visit any authorized motor licence issuer and request the change.
Changes to accommodate individuals with diverse gender expressions or those who do not wish to disclose an option are new and not yet Canada-wide nor international. Not all organizations, businesses and government agencies have adapted their practices or policies. As a result, SGI cannot guarantee that a Saskatchewan-issued driver’s licence or photo identification card with an X designation will be accepted by other organizations. Customers who request an X designation on SGI documents will be informed of these considerations.
By Regina Leader-Post
Copyright Postmedia Network Inc., 2019
