Arkansas Stops Offering ‘X’ As Alternative To Males, Females On Driver’s Licenses

Arkansas will reportedly no longer offer residents the option of using the letter “X” instead of identifying themselves as males or females on state-issued identification cards or driver’s licenses. The rules that went into effect were announced by the Department of Finance and Administration.

Government Agency Requested That Legislative Panel Approve Emergency Rule

The Department of Finance and Administration requested that a legislative panel meet to approve the emergency rule that breaks down the new process. The option to use the letter “X” as an option for state-issued identifications in Arkansas has reportedly been available for nearly 14 years.

The letter “X” option was typically used by the Arkansas residents that identified as either intersex or nonbinary.

Governor Sanders Describes The Controversial Move As ‘Common Sense‘

Republican Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders described the new move as “common sense” in a recent news release. She stated that as long as she is governor, the “Arkansas state government will not endorse nonsense.”

Sanders also signed an executive order last year that banned using gender-neutral terms within state documents in general.

Civil Liberties Union Says Policy Erases ‘Existence Of Non-Binary And Intersex Arkansans‘

The American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas issued an official statement regarding the proposed change. The union believes that it will “erase the existence of non-binary and intersex Arkansans by denying them identity documents that reflect their true selves.”

The union added that the proposed policy is essentially “forcing them into categories that do not represent their identities.” This is reportedly the latest move among Republican states that want to legally define sex exclusively as binary.

Previously-Issued Arkansas Licenses, IDs Will Remain Valid For Now

The new policy does not mean that Arkansas residents have to rush to get their licenses and identifications changed immediately. The department made it clear that those with previously-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards using the “X” designation could keep them.

However, once those documents expire, they will need to be replaced with documents that comply with the new law.

Only A Small Percentage Of Arkansas Residents Currently Use ‘X’ Designation

There are apparently not very many people in Arkansas that currently use the “X” designation on their state-issued identification documents. For instance, only 342 of the 2.6 million active driver’s licenses have the “X” designation.

That is approximately 0.013% of the full group. The state currently has 503,000 identification cards assigned right now, but only 174 of them reportedly use the “X” designation.

Sex Listed On Arkansas ID, Driver’s License Could Match Passport

The new rules specify that the sex listed on an Arkansas resident’s driver’s license or state-issued identification card must match what is listed on the individual’s birth certificate or Homeland Security document.

The passport could also be used as an acceptable reference if it is does not list “X” as the designated gender marker. Even if the passport uses the “X” designation, the applicant must still choose “female” or “male.”

Sanders Previously Eliminated ‘Woke, Anti-Women Words‘

Governor Sanders made headlines back in October when she signed an executive order that eliminated what she referred to as “woke, anti-women words” from government documents on a state-level. According to the order, she prohibited “exclusionary, sexist language in official state government business.”

Sanders specifically cited XX chromosomes and used the ability to “perform the miracle of birth” as qualities that defined women.

Sanders Stood Alongside Female State Legislators Before Signing Order

Before she signed the executive order back in October, Sanders called a press conference that allowed her to stand alongside several female officials and state legislators. She mentioned during that the press conference that they were there to “say, frankly, that we’ve had enough.”

She added that there had been “enough trying to erase women and girls” and denying their “biological differences from men.” She also stated that there was “enough of the craziness that is taking over our country.”

Previous Executive Order Listed ‘Accurate, Female-Affirming Alternatives‘

There were several “accurate, female-affirming alternatives” listed within the order signed by Governor Sanders in October that essentially replaced gender-neutral language in government documents. For instance, the phrase “pregnant person” would be replaced by “pregnant mom” or “pregnant woman.”

The phrase “chestfeeding” would be replaced with “breastfeeding.” In addition, the term “woman” would be used instead of such phrases as “birth mom,” “birth-giver,” and the “laboring person.”

Sanders Blamed The Left For Deciding ‘That Woman Is A Dirty Word‘

During a news conference, Governor Sanders focused on the viewpoints coming from the left. For instance, she stated that “some on the left will accuse us of being nitpicky” and that “Arkansas should just lay down and accept the cultural revolution without complaint.”

Sanders added that her belief was “the exact opposite.” She then blamed the left for deciding “that woman is a dirty word.” She also blamed the left for deciding that they “needed to toss out basic biology and basic grammar along with it.”

Trans Rights Organization Director Says Sanders Is ‘Spewing Hatred’, ‘Robbing’ Arkansans

Intransitive, a trans rights organization based in Little Rock, reportedly spoke out against Sanders in an email sent to Axios. The email, which was sent by Executive Director Rumba Yambu, stated that Sanders had “spent her short time in office spewing hatred.”

It further accused Sanders of “robbing Arkansans of life-saving healthcare.” According to Yambu, they were “not surprised by her most recent attack on the many trans people in our state.”

Sanders Ordered State Documents To Replace ‘Latinx’ With ‘Hispanic’, ‘Latino/Latina‘

Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders made waves in her first day assuming her position by signing a collection of executive orders with a similar impact. She was heavily criticized for not hesitating to step into the national discourse surrounding cultural issues.

For instance, she signed an order that requires the word “Latinx” to be replaced with variants such as “Latino/Latina” or “Hispanic.”

Sanders Also Targeted Critical Race Theory With Signed Order

Governor Sanders previously stated that Arkansas “schools will focus on the skills our children need to get ahead in the modern world.” She highlighted the thought that the schools would not be “brainwashing our children with a left-wing political agenda” as long as she remained governor.

She used her executive authority on her first day in office to require a thorough review of all state education rules and regulations. The objective was to focus on any teaching that “would indoctrinate students with ideologies, such as CRT.” CRT (also referred to as “critical race theory”) was included on the list of indoctrinations that would be removed by her executive order.

Arkansas Democrats Spoke Against Sanders’ Executive Order

The Arkansas Democratic Party apparently did not hesitate to respond to Sanders’ executive orders with a statement that focused on their own objectives and support of teachers. The statement mentioned that “Arkansas Democrats stand with our teachers.”

It further explained that they know teachers “are first and foremost much too busy grading papers, buying their own supplies, and making lessons plans to indoctrinate anyone.”