New York to allow ‘X’ gender option for public assistance applicants

New Yorkers will soon be able to choose an “X” gender option when applying for food stamps, Medicaid and other public assistance, under a court settlement Wednesday.
The agreement settles a 2021 lawsuit against multiple government agencies that claimed the state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance’s computer system compels nonbinary people to either lie under oath by declaring themselves as male or female or be denied benefits.
Under the settlement, the state’s public assistance and health agencies will make “X” gender markers available on applicable forms by Jan. 1.
It will allow the New York City Human Resources Administration to offer “X” gender markers on forms before Jan. 1, according to the New York Civil Liberties Union, which bought the lawsuit on behalf of several plaintiffs.