Media Contact

CONTACT: Ariella Sult, ACLU of Indiana, asult@aclu-in.org, 317-759-6425

March 20, 2019

INDIANAPOLIS – After a failed attempt on the House floor late yesterday afternoon, Indiana legislators are trying again to add language to legislation that will make it more difficult for transgender and non-binary Hoosiers to update their gender on government issued IDs. Senate Bill 182 passed the House Committee on Roads and Transportation today with an amendment that will remove the decade old BMV policy that allows people to obtain an ID that correctly reflects their gender identity with a physician’s statement.

ACLU of Indiana Director of Advocacy and Public Policy, Katie Blair issued this statement:

“It appears Indiana legislators will attempt to amend any bill related to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles in order to add hurdles for trans Hoosiers seeking to update the gender marker on their drivers’ licenses.

“By eliminating a physician’s statement as a valid document in order to change the gender marker on a driver’s licenses, SB 182 will require transgender individuals to go through the burdensome and costly legal process of changing their birth certificate in order to update their ID. In addition, this language will leave some Indiana residents who were born in a state that does not allow birth certificate updates, completely unable to get accurate identification.

“This is a spiteful reaction to the BMV’s new policy that offers a non-binary gender option for drivers’ licenses and identification cards. Accurate identification is necessary in many areas of everyday life, and yet, elected officials want to force gender non-binary people to carry identification that does not accurately identify them. This is not only humiliating, but can also invite discrimination and, in some cases, violence.

“The ACLU is urging Indiana elected officials to stop interfering with trans and non-binary Hoosiers’ access to accurate government issued identification.”