X instead of M or F.
USA issues first gender-neutral passport
It was only in June that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it wanted to introduce a third gender characteristic in the passport for non-binary, intersexual and gender atypical people (symbol photo)
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The United States issued its first passport with an “X” gender identifier. The pass is for people who identify as neither male nor female.
The US issued its first passport with an “X” gender identifier. Instead of an “M” for “male” or “F” for “female”, people who do not assign themselves to either of these two genders can now enter an “X”.
The US Special Representative for LGBTQ Rights, Jessica Stern, described the move as “historic and solemn”. “When a person receives identity documents that reflect their true identity, they live with more dignity and respect,” said Stern.
The government documents would also reconcile with the “lived reality” that there is a wider range of human gender characteristics than is expressed in the two previous terms.
Gender neutral passport wasn’t announced until June
As reported by the AP news agency, the ministry did not disclose to whom the passport was issued. As recently as June, the office announced that it would introduce a third gender trait for non-binary, intersex and gender atypical people, but also said it would take some time as it would require extensive updates to its computer systems.
A ministry official said the passport application and system update with the “X” designation option has yet to be approved by the Department of Administration and Budgetary Affairs, which approves all government forms before they can be issued.
Applicants can choose their own gender
The ministry also now allows applicants to choose their own gender as male or female and no longer requires them to provide a medical certificate if their gender does not match what is on their other identification documents.
The United States joins a handful of countries, including Australia, New Zealand, Nepal and Canada, that allow citizens to indicate a gender other than male or female on their passports.
Stern said her office plans to share the United States’ experience of this change in its interactions around the world, and she hopes this could inspire other governments to offer this option.
You can see in the video: Public toilets are mostly free of charge for men, but not for women. And that creates a lot of misunderstanding and anger. Is that gender equitable?
Source: AP