State of Alabama Appeals Federal Ruling Allowing Transgender People to Change Gender Markers on ID

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Today, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall filed the state’s appeal in a lawsuit over requirements for changing gender markers on state driver’s licenses. The ACLU and ACLU of Alabama had filed the lawsuit in 2018, arguing that by refusing to provide accurate gender markers on licenses belonging to transgender people, the state compromised the safety and wellbeing of these individuals and exposed them to a higher risk of harassment. Federal judge Myron Thompson agreed, and ruled this policy unconstitutional.

JaTaune Bosby, executive director, ACLU of Alabama said:

“Dragging this case out in the courts is not only wasting more of the state’s money on defending clearly unconstitutional policies, but also delaying the ability for other trans people to get accurate driver’s licenses. Trans people belong in Alabama too, and they deserve the same respect of having accurate identification as anyone else.”

Gabriel Arkles, senior counsel, Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund said:

“We’re disappointed the state has chosen to appeal the court’s ruling, but confident that the appeals court will rule the same way. There is no basis for this discriminatory and dangerous rule, particularly when each instance of showing ID with the wrong gender marker endangers and misgenders transgender people.”