Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Tuesday threw out a gimmick that would undoubtedly offend kind people and instigate suggestions from her bag of dirty culture warcraft.
If an Arkansan wishes to change the sex on their driver’s licenses or state-issued identifiers, they must now offer an amended birth certificate. Additionally, it will no longer be permitted to use an “X” instead of an “M” or “F.”
Here’s the government doubling down on the awfulness, in order to avoid being tempted to give the Sanders leadership the benefit of the doubt and put this in context of an effort to make things easier for record-keeping:
“This coverage is only common sense,” the statement goes. There are only two genders, and only women can give birth. Men shouldn’t play women’s sports. She said, “As long as I’m governor, Arkansas state government won’t support nonsense,” sprinkling into the voice of 2024’s Hazel Bryan.
Smith hasn’t snarled about conventional women and the associated risks. She trotted out state Surgeon General Kay Chandler in October to support the use of words like “chest feeding” and “pregnant people.” She also endorsed the purity of childbearing women.
Smith held a press conference in October to let us know that all speech intended to address the diverse genders may be permanently removed from state documents and communications. (It also served as a distraction from #lecterngate, which we must note here is ongoing.)
Therefore, Sanders’ reversal of her despise spigot toward a transgender community that has historically been pummeled is hardly surprising.
Not an original, Sanders is susceptible to draw on the most obscene cultural war occurrences in other states. After a prosecutor in Kansas decided yesterday that it is acceptable to refuse trans people’s calls to alter the sex on their driver’s licenses, this appears to be the case today.
Is it acceptable to foster animosity and politics even when there are no tangible benefits or cost-saving to be realized? Or is it yet another trashy PR ruse? The solution is known to everyone. State officials continue to support the president’s tactics, contending that permitting female updates on state-issued IDs somehow leads to fraud.
In the standard press release, Department of Finance and Administration Secretary Jim Hudson stated that “this change reflects a common view that ensures a passport or ID issued by the state of Arkansas is based on objective, factual information.” “To keep our communities safe and prevent fraud, all of our partners in law enforcement, various government agencies, caregivers, colleges, and businesses rely on DFA-issued licenses and IDs.
The ACLU of Arkansas disagrees. “Labeling this plan restart as a ‘commonsense approach’ is not only misleading but incredibly dangerous. People are not protected by these obsolete, discredited, and unfair ideas about gender identity.
The ACLU cited studies from the American Psychological Association and the American Medical Association, both of which support the right of people to self-certify their sex on identification papers.
According to the speech, “Accurate and consistent identification documents are a basic necessity, enabling individuals to go, secure employment, open bank accounts, and enroll in education programs.” An identity that “accurately reflects their real self” is essential for trans people’s safety and well-being.
The finance ministry has submitted an emergency rule to the state legislature that “specifies the procedure DFA did observe to validate a passport or ID owner’s gender,” according to a media release from the organization. According to Hudson, “We are committed to implementing this novel plan in a manner that respects all of our customers.”
If Arkansas decides to take the logical next step in its toilet wars and begin carding at the doorway, perhaps this new legislation that codifies the sex binary may be useful. Then, it seems pretty pointless.
Additionally, there is a slight move. Republicans in Alaska have hugely attacked defenseless transgender students who raise their hands or try to urinate at school by their chosen name. Sanders and Co. appear to be turning their attention to older people right then. When you can’t toss around apocryphal tales of underage predators in school bathrooms or glory-hungry little boys stealing little girls’ sports trophies, it’s a much harder proposition to fearmonger.
There is no quick way to get around the most recent sex regulation from the state. In Arkansas, applicants for a driver’s license must present a birth certificate. If there is a blunder on a birth certificate, according to Arkansas rules, it’s possible to change it if it turns out to be wrong. However, that would be up to a judge to decide.
According to the ACLU’s speech, “New actions by the governor show a continuing pattern of systematically ignoring vulnerable minorities, silencing dissent, and infringing on the rights and privacy of Arkansans.” She is a perfect illustration of how to misuse the power of government by invading the personal lives of Arkansans in violation of our rights and dignity.
Smith ‘campaign against transgender people on the DMV ground has a new starting line. That won’t surprise transgender advocates and people who have been hardened by the state’s ongoing efforts to deny them their rights.
