US issues first passport with ‘X’ gender option
- The recipient, Dana Zzyym, has been fighting for a document with an accurate gender designation since 2015
- The move marks a milestone in the recognition of the rights of people who do not identify as male or female
The United States has issued its first passport with an “X” gender designation, marking a milestone in the recognition of the rights of people who do not identify as male or female, and expects to be able to offer the option more broadly next year, the State Department said on Wednesday.
The department did not identify the passport recipient, but Dana Zzyym of Fort Collins, Colorado, said in a telephone interview it was their passport. Zzyym, who prefers a gender-neutral pronoun, has been in a legal battle with the government since 2015 over a passport.
Zzyym (pronounced Zimm) said the fight for the passport with an accurate gender designation was a way to help the next generation of intersex people win recognition as full citizens with rights.
“I’m not a problem. I’m a human being. That’s the point,” Zzyym said.
The US special diplomatic envoy for LGBT rights, Jessica Stern, said the decision brings the government documents in line with the “lived reality” that there is a wider spectrum of human sex characteristics than is reflected in the previous two designations.
“When a person obtains identity documents that reflect their true identity, they live with greater dignity and respect,” Stern said.