Words by Smiley Team
Starting April 11, U.S. citizens applying for a passport will be able to use the gender marker “X” alongside “M” and “F” as a broader push for transgender support in the United States.
The announcement came on the International Transgender Day of Visibility, just a day after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill into law.
"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'," Secretary of State, Antony Blinken. said in a statement.
"This definition is respectful of individuals’ privacy while advancing inclusion.”
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Citizens will be able to submit the gender request without the need for medical documentation and when other forms of documentation like social security cards are added to the gender specification they also won’t require medical documentation. Social security cards do not currently have any gender markers.
The State Department is the first U.S. federal agency to offer the gender "X" marker on an identity document. The marker denotes “unspecified or another gender identity.”
The State Department arrived at the marker following research and collaboration with other countries. The research was done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics which involved interviews with members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Other U.S. agencies are expected to follow suit, and the U.S. now joins countries like Canada, Australia, India, Malta, Nepal, and New Zealand in offering more than male and female gender options on passports.
SUPPORT: You can check out the Trans Education Network in Texas, a group that provides support and educational resources to those in Texas.
DONATE: Support Trans Equality, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting this community.
