Licence change row

Gender advocates not consulted in change

TRANSGENDER advocates have criticised the State Government for removing gender from driver licences, saying the move could actually lead to more discrimination.

Transgender community leaders said they were not consulted and some transgender people wanted their sex marked on their licence.

News Corp Australia yesterday revealed an internal Transport and Main Roads de- partment document said complaints about discrimination were the reason gender and height were removed from Queensland drivers’ licences in October 2016.

The government said the changes, which bring Queensland into line with other states, complied with federal anti-discrimination laws and reflected improvements in facial recognition technology.

But Australian Transgender Support Association of Queensland president Gina Mather said she did not know anyone who had complained about having to record their gender and some people were angry they would lose an easy way to prove their identity.

“We had no input. We were aware of it but we were not consulted,” she said.

“Some people were disap- pointed in it because it means they will lose their only form of ID that says female or male, whatever the case may be.”

She said the best solution would be to make the disclosure of gender on driver’s licences optional.

Police can still access information on people’s gender.

Queensland Police Union president Ian Leavers blasted the licence change.

“It …has all the hallmarks of the typical, out-of-touch nonsense we as a society have come to expect from government bureaucrats with no practical experience,” he said.

Opposition leader Deb Frecklington slammed the move as “political correctness gone mad” and KAP’s Robbie Katter said he would introduce a motion to parliament to reverse it.

Health Minister Steven Miles tweeted to Ms Frecklington: “As far as I can tell you’re the only person talking about this issue. Why not focus on more important things?”

The government will rewrite the internal document to say the change was in line with federal anti-discrimination laws and technology advances.