Conservative Member of Parliament: Do Not Put Gender on Driver’s Licenses; It’s ‘Not Relevant’

A British Conservative Party Member of parliament, Maria Miller, has declared that a person’s gender should not be listed on drivers’ licenses and passports because it is “not relevant.” 

“Why do we need gender on our driving license?” Miller, who is chair of the Commons Women and Equalities committee, asked in an interview with the Times. 

“Why do we have to have it on our passport if it doesn’t really aid identification?” she continued. “It’s not relevant.”

(Note: Most people who discuss “gender issues” make a point of distinguishing between “sex” and “gender” — that is, that gender is a social construct while “sex” is biological — and therefore, what is really on these documents could be better described as “sex” than gender.)

Miller added that the existence of these distinctions on documents was having a destructive impact on the transgender community. 

“For individuals who have decided to transition but haven’t necessarily got the right documentation, it can cause problems,” she said.

Miller also said that she believed putting gender on job applications created an “unconscious bias.” 

— Katherine Timpf is a reporter for National Review.