U.S. Passport Applications to Add ‘X’ Gender Option in April

A third gender option, “X,” will be available on passport applications for all U.S. citizens as of April 11, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.

The U.S. State Department last fall issued the first U.S. passport with the “X” gender option for non-binary, intersex and non-gender-conforming applicants. At the same time, the State Department has been reviewing public feedback, working with other countries that offer gender diversity on passports and consulting with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to research how best to define the “X” marker, according to Blinken.

“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,’ ” he said. “This definition is respectful of individuals’ privacy while advancing inclusion.”

Last June, the State Department also announced that applicants could self-select their gender and did not need to submit medical documentation if their selected gender differed from other identity documents.

The State Department is the first U.S. federal government agency to add the X marker on identity documents and plans to make it available on other forms of documentation next year, Blinken said. The March 31 announcement was timed to coincide with the International Transgender Day of Visibility.

About a dozen countries around the world offer a nonbinary or third gender option for passports.