Motorists who do not want to disclose their gender will be able to place an “X” on their driver's licenses, rather than be forced to identify themselves as male or female, by mid-2020, a state Department of Transportation spokeswoman said Tuesday.

A total of 13 other states — including Maryland and, most recently, New Hampshire — have rolled out plans to give residents a gender-neutral option on driver's licenses, according to news reports.

Residents from Butler and nearby counties mostly thought the option was a positive addition.

However, some lawmakers said they were concerned about the repercussions of the change.

But Emily Keener, a Slippery Rock University associate professor of psychology who is conducting a study on the effects of gender inclusive language and how it relates to how people process and remember information, said she thought the change was a good thing.

This is a preview of an article that will appear in Sunday's Butler Eagle. Subscribe online or in print to read more about Keener's study and what local residents and a local representative have to say about the change.