No on HB135 - Stop The Bureaucratic Red Tape on Trans Missourians

I am writing to express my strong opposition to House Bill 135, which seeks to restrict gender designation changes on Missouri driver’s licenses. This bill imposes unnecessary and harmful barriers for transgender and nonbinary individuals by requiring proof of gender reassignment surgery or a court order to change their gender marker. HB 135 disregards the medical and social realities of gender identity. Not all transgender individuals undergo surgery, as medical transition is a deeply personal decision that varies based on financial, medical, and personal factors. Requiring surgery as a prerequisite for updating identification is an undue burden that disregards recommendations from major medical organizations, including the American Medical Association and the American Psychological Association, which advocate for accessible and affirming identity documentation. Additionally, this bill undermines the privacy and safety of transgender Missourians. Identification documents that do not align with a person’s lived gender increase risks of discrimination, harassment, and violence in daily interactions, including employment, housing, and healthcare. Missouri should not be enacting policies that put its residents at greater risk simply for being who they are. Furthermore, HB 135 creates unnecessary government overreach. The current system already requires legal documentation for gender marker changes, and there is no evidence of widespread fraud or misuse. This bill would only make it more difficult for transgender individuals to obtain accurate identification, without any legitimate justification. Transgender and nonbinary Missourians deserve dignity, privacy, and the ability to obtain identification that reflects their true selves. I urge you to oppose HB 135 and support policies that protect and affirm all residents of Missouri.