New U.S. Passports With Non-Binary Options
In Biden’s 2020 campaign, he promised to change laws for transgender and non-binary people. Today marks that change by issuing the first third-gender passport.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Americans could choose the appropriate gender on their passports without medical records to support their choice. However, Blinken acknowledges the slow transition to adding a third-gender option because of the dated systems. He adds, “The Department also continues to work closely with other U.S. government agencies to ensure as smooth a travel experience as possible for all passport holders, regardless of their gender identity.”
On Wednesday, the State Department issued its first “X,” non-binary passport to a U.S. citizen. The identity of that citizen remains unknown. Nevertheless, it is a drastic change in the government system.
The State Department spokesperson Ned Price comments, “the Department of State’s commitment to promoting the freedom, dignity, and equality of all people–including the LGBTQI+ persons.”
Advocates acknowledge the law will decrease the harassment from immigration and travel authorities now that passports have changed. However, some argue that changing or not conforming to gender identity on passports will cause more trouble later down the line in the event of a tragedy.
The new policy will allow applicants to select “X” for non-binary or unspecified, meaning the US joins a dozen other countries – from #Canada to #Malta to #Nepal – that recognize more than two genders on their passports.
— Kyle Knight (@knightktm) June 30, 2021
Nonetheless, the Department of State is still working on the logistics of the new law. Thus, it is not accessible to everyone, and they hope to open applications up to everyone in early 2022. The United States diplomatic envoy, Jessica Stern, explains this new change is a historic policy that aligns better with today’s modern society. Stern adds, “When a person obtains identity documents that reflect their true identity, they live with greater dignity and respect.”
This new change to the old United States identity system begs the question of what other changes will be made to welcome the LGBTQIA+ community. Hopefully, they will be in the right step toward bettering the system.
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