A controversial move by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles is generating significant criticism and sparking a broader discussion on individual rights. The department has issued a memo instructing county tax collectors to stop allowing individuals to update their gender identities on driver’s licenses. The new policy requires proof that the gender on the license aligns with the person’s biological sex, and demands a “primary identification document” for verification. Critics are denouncing the decision as an attack on transgender individuals. Deputy Executive Director Robert Kynoch said that the memo is part of a review of the department’s policies to align services with stakeholders. According to the memo, the prior policy of allowing a new license for those wishing to alter their gender markers will be revoked. Going forward, a replacement license can only be issued for reasons like loss, theft, or changes in information such as address. County tax collectors are tasked to use the supporting documents to establish a person’s gender identity. Any misrepresentation of gender on a license will be deemed fraud, exposing the offender to criminal and civil penalties. The memo’s statements on biological sex also raise questions for those who have already updated their gender identities or whose appearance may not align with the sex assigned at birth. Florida Representative Anna Eskamani was the first to bring attention to the memo. She calls it an attack on the transgender community. The Florida Democratic Party and local LGBTQ+ organizations also condemn the policy. Nadine Smith, executive director of Equality Florida has called the memo a “government overreach.”
