Sask. residents can now leave sex designation blank on driver's licences, ID cards
Saskatchewan residents now have the option to leave the sex designation blank on government issued driver's licences and identification cards.
Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) will begin offering the option to leave the field blank effective Tuesday, indicating no sex has been specified. SGI said this policy gives more inclusive options for its customers.
“The option to have no sex designation on identification and licences is part of SGI’s commitment to inclusiveness,” Penny McCune, chief operating officer of the SGI Auto Fund, said in a news release.
“We have customers who wish to refrain from identifying with any sex on their identification. This change gives them flexibility in how they are identified on SGI documents.”
The Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission (SHRC) said the change came in response to a complaint to its office.
“The Commission welcomes this change as a sign of progress in our province,” Barry Wilcox, Q.C., chief commissioner of the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission, said.
“Two spirit, transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming (2STNBGN) people face discrimination in housing, employment, and travel. This happens, in part, because of the discrepancy between gender expression and government issued identification. The recent change implemented by SGI will help address some of these issues.”
The SHRC said the new designation option is a result of a settlement agreement achieved through the complaint resolution process.
The blank option will be available for customers of any age, upon request. No documentation is required to remove an existing sex designation. SGI said there is no charge for changing the sex on a driver’s licence or photo identification.
The insurer noted however, that these accommodations for people with diverse gender expressions have not been universally adopted by all organizations, businesses and government agencies.
“As a result, SGI cannot guarantee that a Saskatchewan-issued driver’s licence or photo identification card with either the “X” (Unspecified) sex designation or no sex (blank) designation will be accepted by other organizations, in Canada or internationally,” SGI said.
Customers will be informed of these considerations upon request of the removal of sex designation.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Debate-watchers in the Biden and Trump camps seem to agree on something. Biden had a bad night
'Oh, Joe.' That gasp, from patrons at a Chicago bar when U.S. President Joe Biden first stumbled verbally in his debate with Donald Trump, spoke for a lot of Americans on Thursday night.
BREAKING Ontario MPP removed from PC caucus over 'serious lapses in judgment'
Premier Doug Ford has removed a member of his caucus due to what he’s describing as 'serious lapses in judgment.' In a statement released Friday morning, the premier’s office said MPP Goldie Ghamari had been removed from the Progressive Conservative caucus 'effective immediately.'
Buying a car? Why you may have to pay more at some dealers if you use cash
It used to be cash was king and that you could get a better deal if you paid for a car in full, but now many dealers want you to finance your purchase so they can make more money.
What is going on with immigration in Canada? Here's what the data shows
Canada has welcomed more than 3.9 million new citizens since 2005, with nearly one third coming from India, the Philippines or China, according to a CTVNews.ca analysis.
Pope's top adviser, women who say they were abused by ex-Jesuit artist ask for mosaics to be removed
The scandal over a famous ex-Jesuit artist who is accused of psychologically, spiritually and sexually abusing adult women came to a head Friday after some of his alleged victims and the pope’s own anti-abuse adviser asked for his artworks not to be promoted or displayed.
Economy grew 0.3% in April, Statistics Canada reports
Canadian economic growth rebounded in April, but early indications suggested it failed to maintain the momentum into May.
Liberal caucus staying quiet after major byelection defeat that rattled party
Liberal campaign co-chair Terry Duguid insisted Thursday that his caucus is united behind Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, even as the majority of elected Liberals remain silent on the prime minister's political future.
NEW Car thieves tried accessing Ontario transportation ministry database
One of Canada's largest police forces has knowledge of car thieves attempting to breach Ontario's Ministry of Transportation database, CTV News has learned.
Debate takeaways: Trump confident, even when wrong, Biden halting, even with facts on his side
Thursday’s U.S. presidential debate was a re-run that featured two candidates with a combined age of 159, but it went especially poorly for one of them, President Joe Biden.