In this past week, California became the first state to recognize a third gender… talk about progress! The governor of California, Jerry Brown, signed off on a bill that allows Californians to choose female, male, or non-binary on their state-issued IDs. The bill also allows individuals to change their gender on legal documents without having to present a doctor’s note confirming that they’ve had some sort of “clinical treatment”.
Although progress has been made in granting members of the LGBT+ community their rights, there is still much to be done. Too many Americans do not understand or sympathize with the LGBT+ community, and thus have chosen to dislike or repress them. State Senator Scott Wiener says that “California needs to go in the opposite direction…”, hence the newly passed legislation. Since the law was recently passed, it will not go into effect until 2019 and although that’s a while away, it is a step in the right direction.
It’s amazing to see that at least one state is moving in a more progressive, and inclusive direction; I can only hope that the rest of us will catch up, sooner than later. Hopefully, more states will enact legislation in support of the LGBT+ community, and I challenge lawmakers to do so. In 2015 same-sex marriage was legalized nationwide but that was only one step in the journey of equality. We need to keep pushing for legislative changes and focus on the future we can create for future generations. A future where people can freely be themselves and love who they choose and live their lives as they choose. A world where lawmakers and people in positions of power do not spend their times thinking of ways to repress those that are different. A society where being “normal” just means being yourself. This goal is far away but with persistence, we can achieve it. Until then, let’s just enjoy California’s big step in the right direction.
