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VICTORIA Police is set to officially add a third gender option for non-binary people in its internal database.

The police force is looking into alternative ways to record gender in addition to its current categories of male, female and unknown, according to The Australian.


The database could be updated to allow a non-binary category for people who don’t identify as either.

Government agencies have been pushed to comply with new guidelines on the recognition of sex and gender, and lobbying from the LGBTI community has contributed to the proposed change.

“A piece of work is currently being undertaken to scope alternative models for capturing and recording gender in a more inclusive way,” said a Victoria Police spokesperson.

“Relevant consultation with members of the LGBTI community has and will continue to inform this piece of work.”

Senior police members recently met with the Victorian government’s LGBTI Justice Working Group to discuss the project.

“A word like ‘unknown’ is really at odds with what a person knows to be the case about themselves,” said Harriet Shing, joint chair of the working group.

“Having a system that reflects people’s identity is about inclusiveness but fundamentally it’s about dignity and recognition.”