Democratic Party Adopts Gender Non-Binary Language

The Democratic National Committee recently adopted new language in their charter and rules to be more inclusive of gender non-binary people. The amendment, which was passed Saturday at a meeting in Chicago, requires all committees to account for members who do not identify as male or female.

The amendment says committees "shall be as equally divided as practicable between men and women (determined by gender self-identification) meaning that the variance between men and women in the group cannot exceed one (1)."

"At the root of our diverse party is a commitment to inclusion and opportunity," DNC Chair Tom Perez told CNN. "By adopting this amendment, the Democratic National Committee is insuring every Democrat feels welcome and embraced for who they are. This action reaffirms our solidarity with the LGBTQ community and challenges governments, employers, and organizations across the country to do the same."

In the past, Democrats had to choose a gender to participate in caucuses or party organizations, in order to ensure equal representation of men and women. With some states beginning to offer a third gender on licenses, identifications, and other official documents for gender non-binary people, the DNC wanted to implement the update to their charter as well.

"I think it's not only significant for the DNC, but I think it's significant for the LGBT community," said DNC Secretary Jason Rae, who helped author the changes. "The language that was adopted expands our definition of gender -- it includes making sure that we can have gender non-binary individuals participating fully in our process."

State Democratic parties will begin implementing the change to their own committees and organizations in preparation for the 2020 convention.