A bill allowing people to choose X as a gender rather than male or female passed the Senate nearly unanimously this afternoon and could bring the change to the Registry of Motor Vehicles as soon as November.

The option — already law in Oregon, California and Maine — addresses concerns by people who don’t identify as male or female and are so-called non-binary in their gender identity. The bill passed 36-1, with Sen. Donald F. Humason, Jr, a Republican from Westfield, the lone nay vote.

The bill’s sponsor Sen. Karen Spilka said she filed the measure after a constituent from her district wrote her about the stress of having to choose a gender for a driver’s license.

“What struck me as I remember when my kids went for their licenses, it was a joyous occasion; it was milestone. It should not be something that causes stress or conflict,” Spilka said.

Spilka, weeks away from taking over the senate presidency in July, said the measure was an easy decision.

“This is a matter of privacy. This is a matter of validating people’s right to live their lives in away they most feel comfortable.”

Chelsea Police Chief Brian Kyes, policy director for the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association, said his group has no public safety concerns about the third gender option.

Opponents of the change say licenses should be able objective facts and not reflect someone’s gender identity.

Andrew Beckwith, president of the Massachusetts Family Institute said, “Driver's licenses and other forms of ID are legal documents intended to reflect objective facts, like height, date of birth, current address, and sex. I’m sure there are plenty of people who would rather not have their true height or age listed on their license, but that’s irrelevant.”

The constituent in Spilka’s district, a rising high school junior named Ella who declined to give her last name, said the symbol “X” gives people freedom from having to choose one of two genders they don’t identify with.

“My identity ever since I’ve come out has been kind of a balancing act,” Ella said. “Often public accommodations are separated by male or female, so I don’t necessary fit. Oftentimes I kind of have to pick and choose depending on how I appear that day, which is one of the reasons why this bill is so important to me.

She added the bill stemmed from an effort to “find a space where no space has been provided for me.”