HomeWorld NewsUS issues first passport with 'X' gender marker; why it’s significant

US issues first passport with 'X' gender marker; why it’s significant

The move is part of the US government’s efforts to broaden options available on passports for Americans who do not identify as exclusively male or female. Some countries, including India, already have third gender markers in documents.

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By CNBCTV18.com October 28, 2021, 6:27:00 PM IST (Published)

US issues first passport with 'X' gender marker; why it’s significant
The US government has issued its first passport with an X gender designation, a significant step that recognises non-binary, intersex and gender-nonconforming people as a third gender in official documents.


The move is part of the government’s efforts to broaden options available on passports for Americans who do not identify as exclusively male or female, the state department said on October 27.

In June, the US State Department had announced that it was moving towards adding a third gender-marker option on passports, although it said the reforms would take time to implement.

The X gender option will be available to all passport applicants and to those updating their documents by early 2022, a State Department spokesperson said. However, the application and system updates need to be first approved by the Office of Management and Budget.

Applicants also do not have to show medical certificates for selecting their gender designation on passports. These documents don’t have to match the gender designation provided on other identification documents either.

An American milestone

The move is a milestone as it aligns government documents with diversity of gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics, said Jessica Stern, US Special Diplomatic Envoy for LGBTQ Rights.

“Because people do not always fit within a male or a female designation, it doesn’t benefit anyone to have inconsistencies between people and systems,” Stern told Associated Press.

Stern hoped that the move would inspire other countries to offer the option.

“We see this as a way of affirming and uplifting the human rights of trans and intersex and gender-nonconforming and non-binary people everywhere," she said.

According to a study by the University of California, more than 1.2 million people in the US identify themselves as non-binary, which is not aligned with either male or female.

Who got the 'X' passport?

Although the State Department did not disclose the identity of person who was issued the passport with the X marker, civil rights organisation Lambda Legal said it was awarded to US Navy veteran Dana Zzyym, an intersex and non-binary who sued the government over the issue in 2015.

“It took six years, but to have an accurate passport, one that doesn’t force me to identify as male or female but recognises I am neither, is liberating,” Zzyym reportedly said.

The State Department had denied Zzyym's previous passport applications as it required the applicant to select either of the two available gender markers.

Other documents in US

Some states in the US offer the X gender option, in addition to ‘M’ for male and ‘F’ for female, on driver’s licences and other documents.

Oregon was the first state to give residents the option to select X gender for driver’s licences.

Some states have also allowed residents to change the gender to a non-binary designation on their birth certificates.

Countries already with the provision

According to Newsweek, at least 15 countries already have third gender identifiers in documents, including India, Nepal, Germany, Canada, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Colombia, Denmark, Iceland, Ireland, Malta, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Pakistan.

Canada introduced gender-neutral passports in 2019 after several provinces provided X gender markers in birth certificates and driver's licences.

Some countries like India, Germany, Ireland, Austria and Colombia, require citizens to provide medical certifications to get the X status on their documents.

Also read: SC’s Section 377 verdict: Experts discuss how Indian companies fare in parity for LGBTQ+
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