Biden State Department Will Begin Issuing ‘X Gender’ Passports Next Month

Pretty soon, the concept of gender on American passports will become all but obsolete. Because starting next month, American citizens will be able to apply for “X gender” passports, according to the State Department.

Starting April 11, “US citizens will be able to select an X as their gender marker on their US passport application, and the option will become available for other forms of documentation next year,” according to a statement from Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

In other words, Americans applying for passports won’t be required to identify as male or female in their passport applications, a change that Blinken says will benefit non-binary and intersex Americans, along with other “gender non-conforming” people.

As Insider pointed out, the US isn’t the first country to make such a change: Canada, Australia, Argentina, the Netherlands, and New Zealand already offer ‘X gender’ passports.

Blinken said the decision was made after “thoughtful consideration” of “research” and “public feedback”.

“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.'”

The decision will advance the cause of “inclusion” in the US.

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

To be sure, the US has already issued ‘X gender’ passports, including one to an individual who sued the State Department over the issue in 2015. Back then, the department promised to expand the policy, a decision that was temporarily put on hold after President Trump arrived in the White House. Blinken first confirmed the State Department’s plans to move ahead with the ‘X gender’ passports back in 2021.