PORTLAND, Maine, June 12, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Bre Kidman, the first openly non-binary candidate for US Senate, succeeded yesterday in forcing the US Senate Select Committee on Ethics to allow non-binary candidates to file financial disclosures electronically using appropriate gender terminology. When Kidman initially attempted to file, they noticed that their honorific of choice ("Mx.") was not available and attempted to proceed without selecting an honorific. They then learned that the e-file system would not allow them to proceed without selecting from a drop-down list containing only Dr., Rev., and The Honorable in addition to the traditional gender-based options of Mrs., Ms., or Mr.
Kidman, the only Democratic challenger currently filed for the 2020 US Senate Election in Maine, was unsurprised that their chosen honorific was not originally available, but had hoped to proceed to e-filing without selecting one. Upon contacting the disclosure office, they were told that officials would look into the matter with their web developers. The issue was resolved in under a week.
"Most computer systems that exclude non-binary people are genuinely this simple to fix," Kidman said. "It's another option in a drop-down menu. And, while it's a relatively small victory, it feels appropriate to celebrate Pride knowing that our presence in this race has removed one more hurdle for the next non-binary person who decides to run."
Kidman hopes to win the Democratic nomination for the seat currently occupied by Susan Collins in 2020. If elected, they would be the first transgender person elected to Congress.
To learn more about Bre Kidman's campaign for the Democratic nomination in Maine's 2020 US Senate race, please visit beekay4maine.com.
SOURCE Bre Kidman
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