State Department will soon allow ‘X’ passport gender markers

Americans will be able to mark their gender as “X” on their passports instead of “M” or “F” starting next month, the State Department announced Thursday.

The “X” gender marker would identify passport holders who have an “unspecified or another gender identity,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement announcing the change, adding that the option will be available for other forms of documentation next year. 

Non-binary, intersex and other gender non-conforming Americans will be able to use the “X” gender marker on their passports starting April 11. Americans who wish to change their gender on their passports will not need to provide any documentation to do so. 

“The Department is setting a precedent as the first federal government agency to offer the X gender marker on an identity document,” said Blinken, who called the move a “milestone” in efforts to “better serve all US citizens, regardless of their gender identity.” 

The announcement was made Thursday to coincide with International Transgender Day of Visibility. 

American travelers who need emergency passports while overseas will still be required to denote their gender as “M” or “F” to receive an emergency replacement until late next year. Upon returning to the US, they will have one year to apply for a free replacement with the correct gender marker.

Blinken initially announced the plan to add the “X” gender to passports last June.

In addition to the State Department announcement, the Department of Homeland Security revealed Wednesday that it would rework airport body scanners to reduce the amount of “false alarm rates and pat-downs.” 

“By replacing the current, gender-based system with this more accurate technology, TSA [Transportation Security Administration] will improve the customer experience of transgender travelers who have previously been required to undergo additional screening due to alarms in sensitive areas,” the announcement from DHS read.

The department added that TSA is working with airlines to promote the use and acceptance of the “X” gender marker and will also be updating its PreCheck app to include the designation. 

The White House also announced Thursday that the “X” gender marker would be added to its Worker and Visitor Entry System, while the Social Security Administration would no longer require transgender Americans to show proof of identity via a doctor’s note to update their gender information.