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Two new laws allowing Californians to legally change their gender went into effect over the Labor Day weekend, simplifying the process of obtaining state-issued documents and court orders for the identity designation.

Both bills were signed into law in 2017, but didn’t go into effect until Sept. 1.

“Mindful of all the people I know who are gender-nonconforming, and the families I know with transgender children, I wanted to make sure that California continued to be a leader in gender-identity equality,” the author of the bills, state Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) said on Tuesday.

Senate Bill 179 allows people who petition for a gender change, including minors, to identify as male, female or nonbinary. Under SB 179, Californians who change their gender have a more streamlined process for aligning their name with their identity or getting a matching birth certificate. Starting Jan. 1, they will also be able to apply to alter the gender listed on their driver’s license without any additional documents.

Read the full story on LATimes.com.

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