Starting April 11, US citizens will be able to list their sex as “X” on their passports

Americans will be allowed to choose an X for gender on their passport applications and select their sex on Social Security cards, the Biden administration confirmed on Thursday.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the shift will “better serve all U.S. citizens, regardless of their gender identity.”

“We continue to work closely with our federal government partners to ensure as smooth a travel experience as possible for all passport holders, regardless of their gender identity,” he said in a statement Thursday. “We reaffirm our commitment to promoting and protecting the freedom, dignity, and equality of all persons – including transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming persons around the world.”

“The X means unspecified or another gender identity,” said Jessica Stern, U.S. Special Envoy to Advance the Human Rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex (LGBTQI+) Persons. 

Stern also stated that, “the provision of an ‘X’ gender marker option is important because human beings do not always fit within a male or female category around the world, the lived realities of transgender intersex, non-binary and gender-nonconforming persons reflects that there is a wider spectrum of humanity than is represented by a binary sex designation on passports.”

The gender ‘X’ marker will be available next month, and the State Department plans to roll out the option for other documents in 2023. “Every American deserves the freedom to be themselves. But far too many transgender Americans still face systemic barriers, discrimination, and acts of violence,” the White House said.