Gender left off licences to ‘protect’ LGBT drivers
DRIVERS have not had their gender shown on their licences for more than a year in a Queensland government bid to stop discrimination.
Height is also no longer recorded on licences because some people may be offended by providing this information.
Further personal information including eye and hair colour is also being scrubbed from records attached to licences because it may be “perceived as discriminatory”.
The State Government last night confirmed there had been a handful of complaints about drivers’ genders being included on licences.
But a government spokesman said the main reasons for the change were federal antidiscrimination laws and improvements in technology that meant the data was not needed to identify someone.
The Transport and Main Roads department stopped recording people’s gender and height in October 2016.
“TMR has received complaints and suggestions from members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex community about displaying gender/sex (M or F) on TMR cards,” a leaked document stated.
“TMR has received feedback that the collection of personal information (eye and hair colour, complexion, height) may be perceived as discriminatory.”
Drivers are still asked to nominate their gender when they apply for a licence but this is not shown on the card.
A Queensland government spokesman said the internal document did not properly explain reasons for the change.
“The changes to federal legislation and technological improvements were not identified in that document as drivers of change,” he said.
“They should have been and we’ve asked that this be included.”
Police can still access information on gender through QLite tablet devices.