Starting on April 11, a new option will be provided to U.S. citizens obtaining a passport. Now instead of answering male or female under gender, there will be a gender-neutral “X” option, according to the State Department.
The State Department made the announcement of the updated passports on Wednesday, a day before Transgender Day of Visibility on March 31.
Jessica Stern, the U.S. special diplomatic envoy for LGBTQ+ rights, spoke about the update during a news conference on Wednesday.
Stern called the addition of the X gender marker on U.S. passports a “momentous step” for LGBTQ citizens.
“The addition of a third gender marker propels the U.S. forward toward ensuring that our administrative systems account for the diversity of gender identity, gender expression, and sex characteristics among U.S. citizens,” Stern said. “The issuance of X gender markers on U.S. passports does not create new definitions nor rights.”
