Public can comment on proposed BMV rule to ban gender marker changes
The public currently has a chance to weigh in on a proposed rule by the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles to ban people from changing the gender marker on their driver’s license.
The rule seeks to comply with an executive order issued by Gov. Mike Braun earlier this year.
The proposed rule cites a recent Indiana Court of Appeals case that said “gender” on a BMV credential means “sex” — and, more specifically, the binary options male and female.
That aligns with an executive order issued by the governor in March that directs state agencies to “enforce the biological binary of man and woman” — something advocates say dangerously dehumanizes transgender Hoosiers.
READ MORE: IDOH halts gender change requests on birth records to comply with Braun executive order
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The public can comment on the rule via mail or e-mail by July 18. The email address is BMVLegal@bmv.in.gov. The mailing address is:
LSA Document #25-321 Credential Documentation Requirements
Kevin Kolbus
Indiana Government Center North
100 North Senate Avenue, Room N404
Indianapolis, IN 46204
Hoosiers can also attend an in-person hearing at the Indiana Government Center in Indianapolis on July 22.
Under the current rulemaking timeline, the rule would take effect in October.
Brandon is our Statehouse bureau chief. Contact him at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.
