The first US passport with an X gender marker was issued in 2021.
Sarah Tew/CNETUS citizens will soon have the option to select an X as their gender marker on their passport application. This third gender option, in addition to male and female, will be available on passport applications starting April 11 and on other forms of documentation next year, said the Department of State on Thursday.
The new option aims to better serve people who identify as nonbinary, intersex or non-gender-conforming, said the State Department. The definition of the X gender marker on State Department public forms will be “unspecified or another gender identity.”
“The Department is setting a precedent as the first federal government agency to offer the X gender marker on an identity document,” said Secretary of State Anthony Blinken in a statement. “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.
The State Department announcement was highlighted along with several other Biden administration initiatives on the international Transgender Day of Visibility, which aims to celebrate trans people’s accomplishments and raise awareness of the work that still needs to be done to achieve equality.
The first US passport with an X gender marker was issued last year, with the agency promising the option would become widely available in 2022.
