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Arkansas issuing 'gender neutral' IDs to people, policy in effect since 2010

A recent report by INTO, which covers LGBT news and culture, has revealed that the state of Arkansas has been issuing gender neutral IDs to people that ask for the change.

A recent report by INTO, which covers LGBT news and culture, has revealed that the state of Arkansas has been issuing "gender neutral" IDs to people that ask for the change.

In the article, two transgender Arkansans said they updated their IDs with their gender marked as an "X" in October.

Scott Hardin, a spokesperson for the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, said that the rule was implemented nearly eight years ago.

"Any licensee may request to change the gender listed on a license, no questions asked," Hardin said.

He said that even though it hasn't "received considerable attention," the policy has been in place since December 2010.

A memo was sent out in 2010 that stated the gender on an ID can be changed "as requested, no questions asked, no documentation required."

The National Center for Transgender Equality explained in a FAQ sheet that gender neutral IDs are important for some people because "many people have a gender identity that is not male or female and may use terms like 'non-binary' to describe the gender identity."

Krystopher Stephens, co-director of Arkansas Transgender Equality Coalition, said the group is going to assist people with ID replacement costs. Funds will be raised through the community to offset costs.

According to Hardin, there are around 200 Arkansans with their gender listed as "X".

This article has been updated to include information from ArTeC.

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