From: newsroom@ontario.ca
Date: June 29, 2016 at 02:23PM
 |  | | | | News Release June 29, 2016 Province Removes Sex Designation on Health Card, New Gender Option On Driver's Licence Coming In Early 2017 The Ontario government is changing the way it displays sex and gender information on health cards and driver's licences to ensure the fair, ethical and equitable treatment of people with trans and non-binary gender identity. From June 13 onward, Ontario health cards no longer display information about a person's sex on the face of the card. This change will not affect the validity of the card, and cards will continue to function in the same way. Starting in early 2017, driver's licence holders will be given the option to display an 'X' on their card as their gender identifier if they do not exclusively identify as male or female. Driver's licences that display an 'X' instead of an 'M' or an 'F', will also be considered valid and can be used in the same way as previous cards. This summer, Ontario will also launch public and stakeholder consultations to help develop policy on how ministries collect, use, retain and display sex and gender information on public-facing government forms and products. Ontarians can sign up to be notified when consultations open, as well as when the 'X' gender identifier option becomes available for driver's licences, by visiting Ontario.ca/myID. The government's actions to be more inclusive of gender diversity are part of the government's economic plan to build Ontario up and deliver on its number-one priority to grow the economy and create jobs. The four-part plan includes helping more people get and create the jobs of the future by expanding access to high-quality college and university education. The plan is making the largest infrastructure investment in hospitals, schools, roads, bridges and transit in Ontario's history and is investing in a low-carbon economy driven by innovative, high-growth, export-oriented businesses. The plan is also helping working Ontarians achieve a more secure retirement. |
QUICK FACTS - Customers who want a health card without a sex identifier before their regular renewal date can now get one by calling 1-866-532-3161, TTY 1-800-387-5559 or at any ServiceOntario centre.
- There is no fee to get a new health card.
- When available, there will not be a fee to get a driver's licence with an 'X'.
- Some other countries, including Australia, New Zealand and Nepal, use an 'X' instead of an 'M' or 'F' on government records when gender is not specified. It is a standard accepted by the International Civil Aviation Organization, which promotes consistency among travel documents.
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QUOTES "The purpose of health cards is to show that the card holder is eligible for public health care. A person's sex is not relevant. Ensuring that all people in Ontario feel comfortable and safe is especially important in health care settings, and removing sex designation from health cards is a step towards achieving that. "
— Dr. Eric Hoskins, Minister of Health and Long Term Care
"Our government values acceptance, respect and diversity, and is committed to ensuring all Ontarians are treated equitably, ethically and fairly. That's why in early 2017, Ontario driver's licence cards will show either, 'M', 'F' or 'X' as an identifier. "
— Steven Del Duca, Minister of Transportation
"Many Ontarians do not identify as female or male. As society's understanding of gender evolves, government must adapt. Part of that is being more thoughtful about how and when we collect gender or sex information, and how we use it. We look forward to getting input from the public on these important policy changes this summer. "
— Marie-France Lalonde, Minister of Government and Consumer Services
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CONTACTS Lauren Souch
Minister's Office
416-212-3721
Harry Malhi
Communications Branch
416-575-0773
Ministry of Government and Consumer Services
http://ift.tt/1OOB4BE |
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