Background: California's Gender Recognition Act (SB 179)
The Gender Recognition Act (California Senate Bill 179), which went into effect on January 1, 2019, streamlines the process for Californians to apply to change their gender markers, and creates a nonbinary gender category (the letter “X”) on California birth certificates, drivers’ licenses, identity cards, and gender-change court orders.
In August of 2018, Chancellor Christ commissioned the SB 179 Committee with the charge to develop implementation plans that align the UC Berkeley campus with the spirit of the Gender Recognition Act. The committee's tasks included:
- Discuss and establish implementation plans within each of their units, including leading sub-groups in their units.
- Elevate issues and/or make recommendations to Executive Advisory Group regarding broader campus-wide/UC/Federal policy implications that need review.
- Establish a recommended communications plan for socializing the campus to new processes, practices, inclusive culture.
- Reassess changes in place post-implementation
The accomplishments of the SB 179 Committee paved the way for the Gender Recognition and Lived Name Policy implementation.
GRLN Sponsors, Leadership, and Project Managers
GRLN Executive Sponsors
Dania Matos, she/her, Vice Chancellor for the Division of Equity & Inclusion
David Turner, he/him, Executive Director, Campus Applications & Data
GRLN Leadership
Billy Curtis, he/him, Gender Equity Resource Center Executive Director
Em Huang, they/them, Gender Equity Resource Center Director of LGBTQ+ Advancement & Equity
GRLN Implementation Project Managers
Luqi Jia, she/her, Division of Information Technology
Jeff Parks, he/him, Division of Information Technology