State Department Will Allow Americans To Mark Their Gender ‘X’

WASHINGTON – Biden management announced on Thursday a few precautions It aims to make federal forms of identity, applications for federal programs, and travel documents more inclusive for Americans who identify as transgender or non-binary or who do not conform to traditional gender roles.

A long-awaited change will give Americans the option to: indicating their gender with an “X”In passports from April 11th.

The plan was: announced last summerShortly after, the State Department revoked a rule that required a certificate from a doctor stating in the applicant’s passport that she had transitioned to reassign her gender or was in the process of transition.

Officials said that making option “X” available was complex and would take time to complete. Douglass Benning, assistant secretary of the State Department’s office of consular affairs, said Wednesday that the process includes gathering public feedback, consulting with countries that have taken similar steps, and working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Department of Health. Institutes of Health to gather research on how to identify an X gender marker.

“We are committed to promoting and protecting the freedom, dignity and equality of all persons worldwide, including transgender, non-binary and gender non-conforming persons,” said Mr. Benning.

at the Transportation Security Administration Offer the “X” option for applicants for gender Trusted Traveler programsSpeeding up passengers at U.S. airports and across international borders from 11 April.

The Biden administration said the category “X” option will soon be expanded to include federal student aid applications, discrimination complaints with the Equal Opportunity Commission, and the White House’s security system for workers and visitors.

The TSA also announced new initiatives aimed at conducting security screening. more inclusivesuch as removing gender considerations from the process of verifying a traveler’s identity and updating body scan procedures. Current technology differentiates anatomy, meaning an officer has to press a button to report a passenger’s gender to the machine before body scanning. This can potentially cause an alarm if a person’s body contours do not match the general outline the software expects.

Activists said that allowing Americans to identify by a different gender than indicated on birth certificates or other official documents is a monumental step given that many people face difficulties in properly changing or obtaining credentials such as a driver’s license. to them.

“This is absolutely extraordinary for trans Americans,” said Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality. “Many people still live in states where the process of updating your driver’s license or state ID can be cumbersome and very expensive.”

more than 20 states offers a gender-neutral X option on their driver’s licenses, but they do not have or do not have requirements such as a doctor’s certificate for dozens of gender reassignments.

The US consulted several countries before changing its rule. Canada, Australia and New Zeland — those who have adopted similar policies, said Mr. Benning.

Jessica Stern, the US special envoy for advancing the human rights of LGBTQI+ people, said the government will emphasize the inclusion of gender options in passports in promoting LGBTQ rights globally.

“With this development, the United States merges with other countries that recognize gender options in passports without additional verification beyond one’s own consent,” he said.