At least 11 other countries already have the option “X” or “other” in their passports.
The United States announced Wednesday the issuance of the first passport with an “X” in the gender category, a historic step for people struggling against the binary qualification of male or female.
The State Department announced that this option will be generally available in early 2022 for both passports and birth certificates of Americans abroad.
“I want to reiterate, on the occasion of this passport issuance, the State Department’s commitment to promoting the freedom, dignity and equality of all people, including LGBTQI + people,” said State Department spokesman Ned Price, in a statement.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken had promised to address this issue in June, once some technological hurdles were resolved.
Also under Blinken, the State Department allowed US passport holders to select their sex.
Until this reform, Americans needed a medical certificate if they wanted to mark a different gender on their passports than what appeared on their birth certificates or other documents.
At least 11 other countries already have “X” or “other” option on passports, according to the Employers for Equality and Inclusion Network, a London-based advocacy group.
These countries include Canada, Germany and Argentina, as well as India, Nepal and Pakistan, a legacy of the historical South Asian concept of “hijra”, which refers to a third gender.
The State Department made the announcement on Intersex Awareness Day week.
President Joe Biden vowed to make defending LGBTQI + rights one of his administration’s top priorities, a 180-degree turn from the government of his predecessor, Republican Donald Trump, which banned US embassies from flying the Arch flag. Iris. (I)
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