My old friend, Lee Elci, seems not only confused, but a little offended, that drivers shall have an alternative gender to put on their driver's licenses; "Maybe I'm too old for a politically correct, non-binary world", Feb. 6. Perhaps I can help him to understand a little. If there were only two choices of eye color on the license, "orange and yellow" and one's eyes were neither of those selections, a third option might be a good idea. So, perhaps, "other color" could be made available.

To compare gender to eye color trivializes the issue for people who have grown up bullied, confused and intimidated by issues of sexual orientation. It seems to me that nobody is hurt to have "non-binary" as a gender choice. Many decent, much-loved and valuable people are troubled by having to proclaim in a public document that they are something they are not. The fact that there are not enough of them to matter to some people, “only 12,000 in Connecticut," shouldn't control our actions.

"Doctor Elci's" observation that gender orientation is just a "feeling" and not a "medical fact" is not supported by any responsible scientist today. Right-wing complaints against "political correctness" should not force us to be inconsiderate to others when it costs us nothing to be caring human beings.

Gilbert Shasha

Mystic