Oklahoma Governor Signs Bill Banning Nonbinary On Birth Certificates

On Tuesday, Republican Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt signed a bill banning the use of nonbinary as a gender option on state birth certificates.

The new law, SB 1100, requires all birth certificates in the state to only allow male or female as gender options.

The law says that it “requires the biological sex designation on a birth certificate to be either male or female and prohibits a nonbinary or any symbol representing a nonbinary designation including the letter ‘X’ beginning on the effective date of this act. The measure declares an emergency.”

“People are free to believe whatever they want about their identity, but science has determined people are either biologically male or female at birth,” said Oklahoma Rep. Sheila Dills, the House sponsor of the bill, in a statement. “We want clarity and truth on official state documents. Information should be based on established medical fact and not an ever-changing social dialogue.”

“As the war on common sense continues, we must stand up and put a stop to this nonsense regarding biological sex,” said Michael Bergstrom, R-Adair, the principal author of the bill. “It’s not a complicated issue – biologically, you’re either a male or female. There should be no other option to choose from on a birth certificate. I’m thankful my colleagues in the House of Representatives also saw the need to stand behind science and approve this measure.”

Stitt’s signing of the bill comes after he signed an executive order in November 2021 directing the Oklahoma Health Department to stop issuing or changing birth certificates with nonbinary as a gender option.