The Department of State announced on Thursday that U.S. citizens will be able to designate their gender marker as “X” on their passports beginning on April 11. The option will become available for other forms of documentation next year.
“X” will represent “unspecified or another gender identity,” according to the statement released on International Transgender Day of Visibility by Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The update comes after first classifying the third gender marker for those who identified as non-binary, intersex and gender non-conforming individuals.
“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 press release reads. “This definition is respectful of individuals’ privacy while advancing inclusion.”
Blinken also reported that the State Department consulted with countries that have already taken the step to implement gender-inclusive gender markers on their official documents.
The “X” designation comes nearly a year after the State Department announced that they would implement new procedures that would no longer require medical certification if an applicant listed a gender marker that didn’t match the gender marker of their other official documents.
