Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) spoke recently with KCCI News in Iowa about her support for federal recognition of a third gender, the Washington Free Beacon noted Tuesday.
"We should allow for anyone who feels that identifying as a male or female doesn't represent who they are,” she said. “There's a lot of people who are in a fluid transition or they may see themselves differently. I think there's a lot of states that have already passed that law because it makes sense for those people, and I don't know why we have to demonize anyone."
Gillibrand responded "yes" to a question from transgender American Civil Liberties Union organizer Palana Belken about recognizing "X" as a third gender marker, CBS reported Friday.
So far, Oregon, California, Colorado, Maine, New York City and the District of Columbia have recognized a “gender neutral” and “non-binary” identifier.
Sen. Gillibrand is campaigning in a crowded field of 2020 Democratic hopefuls as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) announced his bid Tuesday.
Recent polling has her at less than 3 percent of support with former vice president Joe Biden, who has yet to announce that he is running, leading the pack followed by Sens. Sanders and Kamala Harris (D-CA).
During her time in Iowa Monday, Gillibrand backed the controversial "Green New Deal" legislation to address climate change that is being pushed by leftist Democrats including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).
“[Trump] doesn’t care that we have severe weather all across this country and people are dying," Gillibrand said. "He doesn’t care that it’s probably the greatest economic opportunity of our lifetime– to take on green jobs and green energy and have a Green New Deal.”