The US State Department will soon allow transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming individuals to list “X” on their passports. The agency has also tossed an outdated rule requiring trans applicants to provide medical documentation when identifying their gender on paperwork.
Under the proposed rule unveiled on June 30, the department acknowledged that some of the changes could take some time — but parts of it are immediate. The department said it is immediately allowing individuals to choose an “M” or “F” gender designation and waiving the medical documentation requirement, which previously stipulated that medical providers needed to attest to an applicant’s identity if their sex assigned at birth differed from their gender. Those who plan to list an “X” gender marker will need to wait, though a timetable on that is not yet available.
