Recognition (USA)
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It is estimated that there are over 450,000 nonbinary individuals in the Unites States of America.[1] This article gives information on recognition of nonbinary gender identities in law, government, services, and businesses in the USA. This also deals with policies about transgender people in general, and related policies about intersex people. Recognition here means whether an organization acknowledges that such people exist and have valid identities, and the organization does this by routinely giving them a place where they aren't forced into being wrongly categorized as a gender that doesn't match their gender identity. In the case of recognition of nonbinary people, this means the system doesn't force them to wrongly say they are one of the binary genders (female or male).
How to use
When adding to the tables, please note all sections are in alphabetical order, as are the entries within them. Here is an explanation of the columns and the color code in most of the tables on this page.
Color code for each cell in the below tables:
- green (#9f9) means it doesn't ask for this information at all. This is ideal because it doesn't need to be changed, won't make a mismatch with other paperwork, and is no trouble.
- blue (#9ff) means it offers a write-in field. This is good because it acknowledges the existence of nonbinary people, but it can make a mismatch with other paperwork.
- yellow (#ffb) means it asks but answering it is optional. For a title, this means it lets you leave it blank. For a gender, this means it lets you leave it blank, or select an option called "none", "prefer not to state", or "unspecified". This doesn't acknowledge the existence of nonbinary people and can make mismatches with other paperwork, but it's better than otherwise.
- purple (#f9d) means it has a mandatory selection but gives some gender-neutral options, which may even acknowledge the existence of people who are nonbinary or intersex. For a title, this means the available options include not only Dr, but Mx. For a gender, it acknowledges that there could be other genders than female or male, giving options such as "other" or "intersex". This acknowledges the existence of nonbinary people, which is good, but requires you to be either out or closeted, and can create mismatches with other paperwork, which is trouble.
- red (#f99) is mandatory selection, without gender-neutral options. For a title, the only remotely gender neutral titles it offers are things such as "Dr". For a gender, it only allows only female or male. This is the worst because it is nonbinary erasure. Activists need to let the organization know it can be more inclusive.
- white background means we don't have information about this yet, or some other situation (describe)
Columns in the table:
- Title is for title selection. Does the organization's paperwork require you to give a title such as Dr., does it let you leave it blank, or does it let you write in gender neutral titles such as Mx?
- Gender is for explicit gender (or "sex") selection. Does the organization's paperwork require you to say what gender you are, or doesn't ask? If it does, are you limited only to female and male options, or does it offer more options, or can you write in something else?
Ideally, please include a link to evidence, such as a screenshot or scan of the paperwork, with personal details blacked out, or cite a source.
Businesses
This section is for kinds of businesses other than listed elsewhere on this page. Please add to this section.
Planet Fitness in Richmond, CA is willing to let individuals "choose" which of the two binary locker rooms they would like to use.
Charities
Charitable organizations. Please add to this section.
Education
Schools of all kinds, as well as other educational resources.
Note that for gender nonconforming children and teens, homeschooling or unschooling is an option. This still involves a lot of paperwork, but it's a life-saving option for youth who have difficulty with fitting in or feeling safe around peers and faculty at school. Homeschooled or drop-out teens can work to pass the General Education Development (GED) test instead of getting a high school diploma. A GED certificate will satisfy all employers and colleges that ask for a high school diploma.
Colleges and universities
In the USA, many colleges use paperwork that makes problems for transgender people, especially nonbinary people. The Common Application and Universal College Application, used by many USA colleges, used to restrict answers to only the binary sex assigned at birth of the applicant. However, starting in the 2016-2017 academic year, these applications updated the "sex" field to "sex assigned at birth" and added an optional free text field for gender.[2]
The Applying to College as a Non Binary Trans Person article is highly recommended, because it goes into more detail about many aspects of college life for a nonbinary person in the USA, and some common problems in paperwork.
| Organization | Gender | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| American University | Allows gender-neutral housing, "limited to the 'social justice' house for first years"[3] | |
| Bard College | Allows gender-neutral housing[3] | |
| Bowling Green State University | Allows gender neutral housing, but is limited to Founders Hall and one floor of MacDonald Hall for 2016-17 academic year[4][5] Also has some gender neutral bathrooms accross campus [6][7] | |
| Burlington College | Can choose "I do not wish to identify"[3] | |
| College of Wooster | Allows gender-neutral housing[3] | |
| Connecticut College | Uses the Common App, which asks for sex assigned at birth, and has free text field for gender identity[2] | > |
| Dickinson College | Allows gender-neutral housing, new to first years[3] | |
| Evergreen State College, the | Can choose "unspecified"[3] | |
| Gutenberg College | Paper application doesn't ask[3] | |
| Goucher College | Application requires you to say whether your "sex" is M or F only, then asks a separate question in which you can write in your "gender."[3] | |
| Grinnell College | Allows gender-neutral housing[3] | |
| Hampshire College | Allows gender-neutral housing. Has gender-neutral bathrooms in all dorms and all over campus. Campus-wide student culture treats asking about preferred pronouns as a matter of basic etiquette.[3] | |
| Haverford | Doesn't say it has gender-neutral housing, but "regularly offers singles even to first years, and some floors have gender-neutral bathrooms".[3] | |
| Ithaca College (Ithaca, NY) | Has a gender-inclusive housing option that is friendly to genderqueer students. Has a speech pathology clinic to help transgender students with voice training for free.[8] | |
| Juniata College | Allows gender-neutral housing, new to first years[3] | |
| Macalester College | Uses the Common App, which asks for sex assigned at birth, and has free text field for gender identity[2] | Allows gender-neutral housing.[3] |
| New College of Florida | Doesn't say it has gender-neutral housing, but "has a campus community known for accepting gender-variant students—it works for some trans students because of the college’s informal acceptance, even if the school doesn’t have stated policies."[3] | |
| New York University (New York, NY) | Has a trans student group and several popular transgender focused events.[8] | |
| Oberlin College | Allows gender-neutral housing. Campus-wide student culture treats asking about preferred pronouns as a matter of basic etiquette.[3] | |
| Pitzer College | Allows gender-neutral housing. Lets you "indicate a gender preference for your roommate (but won't guarantee you'll get your preference)" [...] Pitzer also has the best housing application I've seen in terms of trans-friendliness".[3] | |
| Prescott College | Paper application has only M and F boxes[3] | |
| Princeton University (Princeton, NJ) | Gives a lot of transgender focused programming and events, and works to be transgender inclusive in its services.[8] | |
| Shimer College (in Chicago, Illinois) | Online form lets you write in a gender as you wish[3] | |
| Skidmore College | Allows gender-neutral housing[3] | |
| St. Johns College | Paper application doesn't ask[3] | |
| University of California - Los Angeles (UCLA) | One of the first schools to cover transgender health care under its student health insurance, and makes it easy to access these benefits. Campus has gender-inclusive athletic facilities and more than 120 gender-inclusive bathrooms.[8] | |
| University of California - Riverside (UCR) | Has trans and genderqueer focused events. [8] Allows gender-neutral housing, as do all U of California schools, but this particular one is said to be "especially good" with "many options" of that kind.[3] | |
| University of California - Santa Cruz (UCSC) | Online application form gives about six gender options.[9] Has separate questions for gender and for sex assigned at birth. Students can also indicate a preferred name and pronouns.[10] | Allows gender-neutral housing[3] |
| University of Massachusetts, Amherst | Formerly had actively transphobic faculty, but now works to be trans inclusive.[8] | |
| University of Michigan, Ann Arbor | Works to be trans inclusive. Lets students be listed and called by a preferred name, in all contexts, rather than their legal name. Student culture accepts openly transgender students.[8] | |
| University of Oregon (Eugene, OR) | Can choose "unspecified"[3] | Works to be trans inclusive by introducing trans friendly policies before they're asked for. Rec centre has gender-inclusive locker rooms. Most buildings have gender-inclusive bathrooms.[8] Allows gender-neutral housing.[3] |
| University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA) | LGBT center has its own two-story building. Student culture is accepting of openly transgender people. Student health service is knowledgeable about trans health issues.[8] | |
| University of Puget Sound | Allows gender-neutral housing, new to first years[3] | |
| University of Vermont (UVM) (Burlington, VT) | Nondiscrimination policy includes "gender identity/expression." Has trans focused events. Lets students be listed by preferred name. Works to help other schools be transgender inclusive.[8] | |
| University of Washington (UW) (Seattle, WA) | Allows gender-neutral housing.[3] Has had a Q Center since 2005, which "welcomes students, staff, and faculty who are transgender". The University plans that in 2016 it will "broaden gender-neutral options for housing to include all of the new residence halls on west campus as well as Haggett Hall, which has provided gender-neutral bathrooms and living quarters for several years. ... UW staff is working on giving students an easy option to change gender on University forms."[11] | |
| Vassar | Doesn't say it has gender-neutral housing, but "has gender-neutral bathrooms throughout campus and in all the dorms".[3] | |
| Warren Wilson college | Application requires you to say whether your "sex" is M or F only, then asks a separate question in which you can write in your "gender."[3] | |
| Wesleyan University | Allows gender-neutral housing[3] | |
| Western Washington University | Can choose "unspecified"[3] | Allows gender-neutral housing[3] |
Finance
Banks, credit unions, and other financial institutions.
| Organization | Title | Gender | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| BECU (credit union) | Doesn't print title on debit or credit card. | ||
| BMO Harris (bank) | "True Name" initiative enables customers to have their chosen name on the their cards[12][13] | ||
| Capitol One (bank) | Doesn't print title on debit or credit card.[9] | ||
| Chase (bank) | Doesn't print title on debit or credit card.[9] | ||
| Mastercard | "True Name" initiative enables customers to have their chosen name on the their cards[12] | ||
| SunTrust (bank) | Doesn't print title on debit or credit card.[9] | ||
| Wells Fargo (bank) | Doesn't print title on debit or credit card.[9] |
Employment
In general, employment discrimination laws regarding gender identity and LGBT identity vary by state. See Wikipedia: Legal aspects of transsexualism in the United States - Employment discrimination.