United States citizens are now free to choose gender other
than male, female on passports from April 11.
The third gender marker is for non-binary, intersex, and
gender non-conforming individuals.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in a statement, described
it as another milestone in its work to better serve all U.S. citizens.
Blinken said LGBTQI+community would now choose X as their gender marker and were no longer required to submit any medical documentation “even if their selected gender differed from their other citizenship or identity documents”.
He said: “Starting on April 11, U.S. citizens will be able
to select an X as their gender marker on their U.S. passport application, and
the option will become available for other forms of documentation next year.”
The Department of State is the first U.S. government agency
to offer the X gender marker on an identity document.
The U.S., the statement said, is consulting with partner
countries about gender diversity on their passports.
“Finally, we have worked with the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics to conduct
qualitative research on how to define an X gender marker, interviewing a
demographically diverse group of individuals, including many members of the
LGBTQI+ community. After thoughtful
consideration of the research conducted and feedback from community members, we
concluded that the definition of the X gender marker on State Department public
forms will be ‘Unspecified or another gender identity.’ This definition is respectful of individuals’
privacy while advancing inclusion.
“We continue to work closely with our federal government
partners to ensure as smooth a travel experience as possible for all passport
holders, regardless of their gender identity.
We have updated our advice to LGBTQI+ travelers:
travel.state.gov/lgbtqi. We reaffirm our
commitment to promoting and protecting the freedom, dignity, and equality of
all persons – including transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming
persons around the world,” Blinken added.
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