Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles Moves to Block Gender Changes on State ID
The proposed change includes the information that there are no known beneficial effects.
by Valorie Van-Dieman
In June, the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles proposed a rule that would prevent people in the state from changing the gender marker on their ID. This rule change brings the BMV into alignment with Indiana Governor Mike Braun’s executive order from March, rolling back the 2024 Title IX rule under Biden to the rule from 2020 under Trump. In effect, the executive order removed protections for LGBTQ+ people from the language of the rule.
Indiana is the latest in a line of states proposing policy changes meant to impose difficulty on trans people and push them out of public life. Recent months have seen numerous examples of states shifting policy in a notably anti-trans direction, whether as capitulation to the Trump Administration or as continuations of homegrown Republican campaigns.
If the BMV rule changes go through it would have profound effects on the day to day lives of trans people going forward., “People use ID cards on regular day-to-day tasks from interactions with law enforcement to purchasing items like prescriptions, alcohol, and tobacco products. Even for buying a ticket to the movies,” G. David Caudill of Equality Indiana noted in an interview with Assigned. “Inaccurate information like their gender marker can interfere and cause harm and in some instances even be dangerous for a transgender person who just wants to live their life.”
Even when there are no active dangers for showing an ID with a mismatched gender, the toll of constantly outing oneself can wear a trans person down. “It becomes a death by a thousand cuts situation where it's just over and over every day you just are constantly referred to incorrectly because well that's just what your ID says,” explained Indiana resident Liliana Young while speaking with Assigned, “it contributes to very real mental health issues for our community.”
Policies like this harm an already marginalized community, without providing any meaningful benefit to anyone. This fact is noted in the language of the policy itself in the benefit analysis conducted for the proposed change. Section V.a. states “The primary or direct benefits of this proposed rule are difficult to quantify.” And, in V.b. “The secondary or indirect benefits of this proposed rule are equally difficult to quantify. However, any indirect benefit – that is, one that occurs because of the regulation but is unrelated to its stated goals – also appears to be minimal,” and V.c. “The proposed rule will not result in cost savings for individuals and/or businesses.”
When even the policy itself notes that there would be no meaningful benefits to the policy, it can be hard to make any conclusion besides that this policy is simply meant to cause harm. As Caudill put it, “If there's a rule or a law that's not harming anybody, but then you decide to change that and it turns out to harm somebody, you are defeating the purpose of being a public servant.”
In Indiana this goes beyond just IDs, on July 9 Indiana AG Todd Rokina publicly stated his opposition to changing gender markers on birth certificates as well, calling transness a “sickness”.
All hope is not lost for hoosiers yet, however. This change is still just in a state of proposal and is open for public comment until the end of day July 18, and there will be an in-person hearing in Indianapolis on July 22 at 9AM. The IYG has set up an easy to use comment form to let the BMV know how you feel about this rule change. And if you are in the Indianapolis area and have the ability, show up to the hearing and make your voice be heard to support the trans community of Indiana.
Valorie Van-Dieman (she/they) is a reporter and editorial assistant at Assigned Media. @valorievandieman.bsky.social