Gender ID Bill Derailed Following Testifiers' Refusal to Address Sports Participation for Former Males

Lawmakers delay the bill’s progress following a tense exchange over whether the measure would enable individuals assigned male at birth to compete in female sports, among other issues, as concerns over wider societal implications linger.

A measure that would have allowed people to change their gender designation on identifying documents has been held in committee after major pushback from lawmakers who, in a vigorous debate, expressed concerns about the possible “far-reaching” impacts of the draft legislation. Proposed by Senator Novelle Francis on the request of Governor Albert Bryan Jr., Bill 35-0395, if passed into law, would allow for someone, equipped with an order of the Superior Court of the Virgin Islands, to change the listed gender on a driver's license, identification card, and for other related purposes. The proposed measure was brought to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security, Justice and Public Safety on Tuesday.

In his introduction of the bill, Sen. Francis stated that the measure was not “about sexuality or sexual orientation. It is a bill that supports how people identify their gender.” He told his colleagues that “in addition to supporting patient care, this bill will also give those who identify as transgender or non-binary to have identification documents that align with their own gender identity.”