San Francisco's new city ID card program not only will give people such as undocumented immigrants, children who don't have school IDs, and seniors who don't have driver's licenses, a way to identify themselves, it is also expected to benefit transgender people.
The card is gender neutral, which will benefit people who have been "stigmatized for so long, this will help open the door to the community to advance in their lives," said Alexandra Byerly, a representative of El-La Program Para Trans-Latinas. "... We can go out and have this ID now and prove that we are someone."
Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco), who spearheaded the legislation for the program when he was a San Francisco supervisor, said it "shows the spirit of San Francisco, the heart of San Francisco. It shows we can be very, very smart about policy."
Mayor Gavin Newsom, who was not present at the January 15 news conference held to launch the program, said in a statement, "This ID card will make it easier for all San Franciscans to see a doctor, open a bank account, and enroll their kids in preschool."
Eight banks and credit unions that are partners with the city's Bank on San Francisco program will accept the ID card as a primary form of identification to open an account and cardholders can get discounts at more than 30 participating businesses.
Read the full story from the Bay Area Reporter
Bay Area Reporter (known to San Franciscans by its initials simply as the "B.A.R.") is San Francisco's oldest and largest local newspaper of record serving the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities. Founded in 1971, B.A.R. is regarded for its original writing covering news and entertainment relevant to our lives. B.A.R. is distributed in San Francisco and surrounding cities of the Bay Area, as well as 20 other US cities.
For more information on the I.D. program please go to: SF City I.D. Card, San Francisco County Clerk's Office or send an email to:
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