MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

US to admit “X” option on passports of gender-neutral citizens

The Department of Homeland Security said Thursday it would introduce “more efficient, less invasive screening procedures” for trans travelers

The United States Government of President Joe Biden has agreed to issue passports marked with an “X” in the gender box to adjust to the bearer's self-perception, it was announced Thursday during celebrations of the Transgender Day of Visibility.

According to the White House, US citizens who do not identify as male or female will have the option of marking the gender “X” on their passport applications. The decision is part of a package of measures including changes to Transportation Security Administration (TSA) systems and includes technology that will replace gender-based pat-down and screening to further respect transgender travelers.

US authorities are also working with major airlines to include the “X” mark on their forms for passenger identification and two of them, have reportedly implemented this measure already.

The US State Department also explained that the new option will become available as of April 11. The passport change is one of a host of transgender-focused policies rolled out by the Biden administration.

People opting for the “X” passport will not have to provide any medical documentation to prove that they are neither male nor female, according to a press release from Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

The statement added that “X” stands for people with “unspecified or another gender identity,” a definition that Blinken said “is respectful of individuals’ privacy while advancing inclusion.”

The first gender-neutral passport was actually issued last October. At that time, the Biden administration had promised to give “non-binary” people a third gender option in early 2022.

Read also: US issues first X-gender passport

While the new announcement was mocked by conservative sectors, LGBT groups and left-wing activists celebrated the move. “Chinese third graders are learning multivariable calculus while our third graders are being taught that ‘men can have babies,’” an objector posted on social media.

Argentina, Canada, and New Zealand all issue similar gender-neutral passports, while more than a dozen other countries issue third-gender passports to intersex or non-binary people in some circumstances.

The Biden administration also promised to back “gender-affirming care,” which in practical terms stands for treatments ranging from therapy to puberty blockers and surgery for kids.