How to Change the Gender in the Passport to “X”
On Wednesday, the US Department of State announced it had issued the first gender-X passport to “non-binary, intersex, and gender-non-conforming,” an important milestone in securing the rights of people who do not identify with any man. or female.
“With the issuance of the passport, I want to reaffirm the State Department’s commitment to promoting the freedom, dignity and equality of all people, including LGBTQI +,” department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.
The first X-passport was issued to Dana Zzim , a 66-year-old intersex activist who sued the government after being denied a passport because they did not check either M or F.
When will the X designation be widely available?
Option X in passports is expected to become widely available in early 2022 , according to the State Department. The wait is largely due to technical issues: adding a third floor option requires significant upgrades to government computer systems.
Who will be eligible for a new passport?
The gender designation in passports is self-selected, so anyone who wants to be considered an X in their passport, rather than an M or F, will be able to choose this option after changing the forms and updating the computers.
How to change the indication of gender in the passport
If you are applying for a new passport , you can currently choose M or F on the application forms, even if the gender you choose does not match the gender shown on the accompanying documentation, such as your birth certificate or government ID. The X notation will work the same way.
If you already have a passport, you can apply for a new passport with your chosen gender and use your previous passport as part of your supporting documentation. In the United States, no medical documents are required for gender reassignment in passports anymore.
What other countries allow the indication of the third gender in their passports?
Currently, 15 countries allow citizens to list anyone other than men or women on their passports, including New Zealand, Nepal and Canada.
Special greetings to the Netherlands: since 2018 they have allowed third gender identification in passports and are working to remove gender identification completely from all official documents.