Vancouver resident applies for non-binary gender designation of ‘X’ on BC Health Card and driver’s license

A Vancouver resident, who was born in Ontario but has been living in British Columbia for the last 8 years claims they are one of the first people in this province to apply for the short-form non-binary Gender designation of ‘X’ on their driver’s license and BC Health Card.

Joshua M. Ferguson currently has the gender designation of ‘M’ but has sent in an application to Health Insurance BC and ICBC to change it.

“This is the next stage of my journey to be recognized.”  they say.

Ferguson says it’s already used in some countries around the world including the Unites States and it’s time B.C. catches on.

“The problem right now is that non-binary people have been erased and invisible for a long time in our society.”

“X is the internationally recognized short-form designation of non-binary,” they say.

“The non-binary options on forms of ID will counter this invisibility that non-binary people face in society. We will be able to achieve a little bit more recognition.”

Ferguson has also applied for a non-binary birth certificate in Ontario, but had the application denied by the Ontario’s Deputy Registrar General, which said, “Although we are not able to process it at this time, we have not closed the application and consider it pending.”

Ferguson has yet to hear back on the status of their applications in B.C.

“I’m not sure about specific time frames but it should be approved within the standard time frame,” they say.

In a statement, the Health Minsistry says “The government recognizes the challenges that transgender and gender-diverse people face across BC. We are in the process of examining policy changes made in other jurisdictions, including Ontario, around non-binary identification on government issued documents.”