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California is the first state to allow gender neutral birth certificates

Starting in 2018, California birth certificates will have a "nonbinary" gender option.

SAN DIEGO (WTHR) — California will allow gender neutral as an option on birth certificates.

On Sunday, California Governor Jerry Brown signed legislation that will allow non-binary gender markers on birth certificates starting in 2018, NBC7 reports.

The bill, SB179, was introduced by California Democrat Tony Atkins earlier this year.

California already allows its residents to be identified with a gender marker other than "F" or "M" on driver's licenses. Washington D.C. and Oregon allow their residents to do so, as well.

Non-binary means a person does nto identify as male or female.

Jamie Shupe of Portland, Oregon, was the first person granted a legal change to identify as "non-binary." That was in June of 2016, according to the Transgender Law Center.

Only five people in the country have a designated identity as "non-binary" supported legally by a court order.

Four of those five individuals are from California.

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