U.S. issues its 1st passport with ‘X’ gender designation [Video]

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• The U.S. has issued its first passport using an “X” as a gender marker.
• The “X” denotes that an individual is neither exclusively male nor female.
• The State Department said it expects to offer the option to more nonbinary, intersex, and gender-nonconforming Americans early next year.

The United States has issued a passport with an “X” gender designation – a first in the country.

It’s a milestone that recognizes the rights of Americans who don’t identify themselves as male or female. The State Department said Wednesday that it expects to be able to offer the option to nonbinary, intersex and gender-nonconforming individuals in early 2022.

Jessica Stern, the country’s special diplomatic envoy for LGBTQ rights, called the actions historic and celebratory.

“When a person obtains identity documents that reflect their true identity, they live with greater dignity and respect,” Stern said.

An intersex Colorado resident named Dana Zzyym was the recipient of the passport, according to LGBTQ media advocacy organization GLAAD.

Zzyym (pronounced Zimm) has been in a legal battle with the department since 2015. Zzyym was not given a passport for not checking male or female on an application. In court documents, Zzyym wrote “intersex” above the boxes marked “M” and “F” then requested an “X” gender marker.

Born with ambiguous physical sexual characteristics, Zzyym was raised as a boy and served in the Navy as a male. Later on, Zzyym identified as intersex while working and studying at Colorado State University.

“I almost burst into tears when I opened the envelope, pulled out my new passport, and saw the ‘X’ stamped boldly under ‘sex,’” ZZyym said in the GLAAD news release. “It took six years, but to have an accurate passport, one that doesn’t force me to identify as male or female but recognizes I am neither, is liberating.” 

In June, the State Department announced that it was acting on adding a third gender marker but the process would take time as it requires wide-ranging updates to its computer systems. Plus, it still needs approval from the Office of Management and Budget, which approves all government forms.

Additionally, the department now lets passport applicants choose their gender as male or female, without asking for medical certification if what they selected did not match what’s listed on other identification documents.

Some countries, including Australia, New Zealand, and Canada already allow their citizens to designate a gender other than male or female on their passports.

“Today, the U.S. finally catches up with other countries around the world that have already seen gender-neutral passports in use for years, and that’s something to celebrate,” GLAAD Rapid Response Manager Mary Emily O’Hara said in the release.

Source: USA Today