Alabama is one of the eight remaining U.S. states that require transgender people to undergo gender-affirmation surgery before they can get a state-issued identification that lists their correct gender identity.
But a federal court just ruled that requirement as unconstitutional. The court ruling stems from a 2018 case involving three transgender state residents who were denied drivers’ licenses reflecting their gender identities because they hadn’t had “complete surgery”, a chest augmentation and a genital surgery, both of which can be time-consuming, expensive and undesirable for some trans people. “This policy makes it impossible for most transgender people in Alabama to obtain a license that they can use without sacrificing their