US citizens will be able to select an X as their gender marker on their US passport application starting April 11 in a move aimed to advance the inclusion of non-binary individuals and to respect privacy, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a press statement on Thursday.
"In June, I announced that U.S. passport applicants could self-select their gender and were no longer required to submit any medical documentation, even if their selected gender differed from their other citizenship or identity documents. 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," said Blinken.
The announcement comes on the occasion of International Transgender Day of Visibility celebrated by the transgender community every year on March 31.
"The Department is setting a precedent as the first federal government agency to offer the X gender marker on an identity document," said Blinken.
"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," Secretary of State further said.
Talking about the International Transgender Day of Visibility, Blinken said, "We call on governments and other partners around the globe to join us in fighting for a world in which everyone can live safely and openly as themselves. We will not waver in our commitment to upholding the human rights of transgender, nonbinary, and gender non-conforming persons worldwide."
( With inputs from ANI )
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