The U.S. has issued its first gender-neutral passport marked with an “X” in the gender category. This is a significant milestone for those who identify as neither female or male, as it acknowledges them and allows them to express themselves as who they truly are. 

Dana Zzyym, an intersex military veteran, was the recipient of this passport. In 2015, Zzyym filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Colorado against the State Department because they were denied a gender-neutral passport. Zzyym’s birth certificate identified them as male, and their driver’s license identified them as female. In 2016, the ruling was in favor of Zzyym, however, the case was reopened since the State Department did not recognize gender markers outside of “F” for female, and “M” for male. In 2018, it was discovered that the State Department violated the law, and Zzyym was finally able to obtain a passport with their proper gender identification.

In a phone call covered by The New York Times, Zzyym said, “It was nice to finally get it after all this time. It was an exciting moment in time when I got to open the envelope. There was a big gasp, a combination of excitement and relief.”

Before Zzyym was given their new gender marker, they “felt like [they] [were] in prison…You’re denied a status of being human and it’s like I was not a citizen of this country because I was denied access to leave and only felons and prisoners are not allowed to travel.”

Zzyym’s advocacy for a gender-neutral marker on the passport transcended boundaries on gender that would benefit generations to come. 

“I feel good about standing up for myself and other intersex and nonconforming people,” Zzyym stated. “In the long run, I started this lawsuit to get legal recognition for intersex and nonbinary people, and I did this for the future.For intersex kids to be able to say, ‘Hey, I happen to be a human being who happens to be intersex.’”

Prior to the creation of a new gender marker, the policy for altering a gender marker on a passport demanded medical certification, which was only applicable to those who transitioned from one gender to another. In June, the Biden administration announced that a new gender marker on passports and citizenship certificates would be created for  those who do not conform to traditional gender. As of now, people are allowed to self-select their gender as male or female without medical certification. However, the “X” marker is awaiting approval from the Office of Management and Budget. 

“When a person obtains identity documents that reflect their true identity, they live with greater dignity and respect,” said Jessica Stern, the U.S. diplomatic envoy for LGBTQ+ rights, in an ABC News article. “We see this as a way of affirming and uplifting the human rights of trans and intersex and gender-nonconforming and nonbinary people everywhere.” 

The creation of the “X” marker is groundbreaking in the U.S. Hopefully, the  gender-neutral marker will soon be approved, and used by many who identify as neither male or female.

Photo courtesy of PIXABAY.COM