Trans people in Florida can no longer update their driver’s licenses: A new state rule may expose trans people to criminal or civil penalties if they try to update their documentation. - eviltoast
  • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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    11 months ago

    Literally the first paragraph of the article:

    The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles will no longer update a transgender person’s driver’s license with their correct gender identity, according to an internal agency memo sent last week — a move that was not prompted by any new law.

    Fifth paragraph:

    The agency’s memo states that “misrepresenting one’s gender, understood as sex, on a driver’s license constitutes fraud” and would expose someone to criminal and civil penalties, including the cancellation, suspension or revocation of their license.

    Headline:

    Trans people in Florida can no longer update their driver’s licenses: A new state rule may expose trans people to criminal or civil penalties if they try to update their documentation.

    So in what way is the headline not supported?

    • BombOmOm@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      As I said, they need to enter their sex. The article (and your quotes of it) say they should not enter the gender of their choosing. Or do you agree with Republicans that sex and gender are the same thing?

      • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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        11 months ago

        I disagree that “sex” on a driver’s license means “biological sex.” Because that really doesn’t matter on a driver’s license, does it?

        • theherk@lemmy.world
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          11 months ago

          I thought it was a useful distinction that gender and sex referred to different things. To say nothing of the law or the article, I think it is good not to conflate them. If the field is to be on the ID, and maybe it shouldn’t, then it should be marked as intended; sex for sex or gender for gender.

          Maybe there are reasons sex is beneficial, with respect to emergency services and immediate knowledge of biology, but maybe it would be better just not to have the field.

        • BombOmOm@lemmy.world
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          11 months ago

          I disagree that “sex” on a driver’s license means “biological sex.”

          The article very clearly describes that sex, not gender, needs to be entered into the form. That is how one gets and renews a driver’s license in Florida. And again, I would like to re-iterate, transgender people are free to get and renew drivers licenses in Florida. The article’s title is simply not supported by the facts or even the article’s contents.

          • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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            11 months ago

            Yes, I realize what it says. Just because the people who make licenses don’t know the difference between sex and gender doesn’t mean they actually want to know the biological sex of the person being issued on the card.

            Otherwise, please explain to me why biological sex is a necessary thing to have on an identification card and gender is not.

          • lolcatnip@reddthat.com
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            11 months ago

            God forbid a trans person sees a male/female field on a form and puts down their gender! Right to jail!

          • Wolf_359@lemmy.world
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            11 months ago

            Oh please. You know what you’re doing right now and you know what the purpose of this law is.

            The use of the word “sex” on identification cards predates our more recent understanding of the words “sex” and “gender.”

            The acceptance of trans folks never hinged on the definitions of those words. It’s a useful framework to begin understanding the difference between the social aspects of your sex (gender) versus the biological aspects of your sex.

            It’s a common mistake of the left to fall into the trap of debating this point like it actually matters to conservatives. There isn’t a conservative on the planet who gives a shit about the difference or who will change their feelings toward trans people depending on how those words are used.

            Don’t play coy. You know why this law exists. It has nothing to do with Webster’s dictionary.

        • Dexx1s@lemmy.world
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          11 months ago

          Arli and the article only use “may” and “could” because we have no instances of it in practice yet and they can’t directly assert the policy’s intention as hastily. But it is simple: If you don’t add your biological sex, they can count it as fraud and subsequently refuse to update your documents. We’re all commenting on it because it’s so simple and obvious. It’s Florida. We know what they’re doing.

        • RGB3x3@lemmy.world
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          11 months ago

          Obviously some rando on the internet knows better than a nonprofit dealing with these types of issues daily.

      • maness300@lemmy.world
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        11 months ago

        It’s a shitty source that’s trying to get people angry for clicks.

        These people do not argue in good faith.