The State Department added an additional option to passports regarding one’s choice of gender.
Starting on April 11, citizens will be able to select an ‘X’ as their gender marker on passports and will eventually be expanded to other forms of documentation throughout the year.
The X will imply that the user has an “unspecified or another gender identity,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement on Thursday. This definition will be “respectful of individuals’ privacy while advancing inclusion.”
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The State Department initially sought public feedback on the change to the process, as well as consulting with partner countries that “have already taken this important step to recognize gender diversity on their passports.” The department also announced that it had worked with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics “to conduct qualitative research.”
The State Department announced in June that it was adjusting the passport application process so that anyone can self-select their gender identity in the paperwork in an attempt to be more inclusive. This has included releasing passports for nonbinary people in October 2021.
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Gay and transgender policy has been a prominent cultural topic, with Florida’s decision to pass legislation restricting educators’ ability to speak about sexuality in younger classes. Several states have also passed bills limiting the ability of transgender females to compete in women’s sports.
