The Canadian government is exploring the possibility of using gender-neutral options on identity cards.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told Toronto news station CP24 on Sunday that the government is considering following in Ontario’s footsteps with gender-neutral identification. Ontario announced last week that it would allow the use of a third gender indicator, “X”, for driver’s licenses and health cards.
“It’s something we’re looking at federally, we’re just trying to figure out the best way to get around to doing it,” he said.
A spokeswoman for the prime minister confirmed the government is looking into making the switch. "We are conducting a review of all the circumstances in which the government requires or produces identity documents in order not to exclude people whose gender identity does not match the binary standard. This could include neutrality in several situations," Andrée-Lyne Hallé said.
Ontario said it will introduce gender-neutral driver's licenses, allowing people to select X, instead of M or F, next year. That follows the lead set out by several countries, including Australia and New Zealand, that already allow the use of X to indicate gender.