Form Allowing NYC Students To Change Gender Has Only 2 Options

NEW YORK — New York City schools will soon allow students to change their gender on official records — but there won't be an option for those who don't identify as male or female.

The Department of Education announced a slate of new guidelines for supporting transgender and non-binary students on Friday, the 50th anniversary of the start of the Stonewall Inn uprising that birthed the modern LGBT rights movement.

Under the guidelines, which will take effect at the start of the 2019-20 school year, students will be able to change their gender on report cards, diplomas and other permanent school records with a parent or guardian's permission using a simple form.

But the form offers only two gender options — male and female — despite the DOE's stated goal of supporting "gender expansive" students, who may not identify as either.

That's because federal and state policies require the department to report certain student data with the male and female gender markers, an issue the DOE is working to address, department spokesperson Miranda Barbot said. The two options are required for "critical accountability measures" such as graduation rates, she said.

Students can still report their own gender during enrollment and schools will get training on how to affirm their gender identities, according to Barbot.

"We support all students including those that are gender expansive, and we will respect a student’s preferred pronouns and gender identity," she said.

The form is used internally for record-keeping, but diplomas and other public-facing documents do not mention gender in an effort to be inclusive of all identities, Barbot said. School dress codes also bar gendered clothing for graduation and school pictures, she said.

The State Education Department has recommended that school districts update gender-non-conforming students' records with their chosen name and appropriate gender markers if they had previously been known by their birth name.

Failing to change those records could make it harder for students to graduate on time or lead to delays in their getting services, the department said in 2015 guidance.

Some schools in other parts of the country offer students a third choice. Washington, D.C.'s public schools have moved to add a "Non-Binary" gender option on its enrollment form, while Arlington, Virginia offers an "X" gender marker, according to news reports.

And the Oregon Department of Education started requiring districts in that state to offer at least three gender options last year, The New York Times reported.

Transgender students aren't the only ones who will be able to use New York City's form, which doesn't require any legal documentation. All students can submit a request to change their name, including those who go by a shortened version of their given name or use a different name for social reasons, the DOE says.

In another change, the DOE will have families report their children's genders on their own instead of having schools match students' genders to their birth certificate, the department said.

"Schools are safe havens for students to develop their passions and discover their true identities, and these new guidelines celebrate and affirm all students," schools Chancellor Richard Carranza said in a statement.