United States passports and IDs are about to get a long-overdue update.
On Wednesday, just before Pride month came to an end, the Biden administration announced plans to issue passports and IDs that feature “X” gender markers, which can be selected without providing medical documentation.
Per The 19th — a nonprofit that reports on news related to gender, politics, and policy — the American people will soon be able to choose between “M,” “F,” and “X” on these federal documents. The addition will give transgender, non-binary, and intersex individuals the freedom to identify as gender neutral or a gender different from the one listed on their birth certificate. And eliminating the need for transgender people to provide proof of gender transition from a medical professional will allow them to self-identify freely.
Those familiar with Joe Biden’s LGBTQ policies will recall that he promised to “affirm one’s gender marker and expand access to accurate identification documents” during his campaign.
“Transgender and non-binary people without identification documents that accurately reflect their gender identity are often exposed to harassment and violence and denied employment, housing, critical public benefits, and even the right to vote,” the president’s campaign website JoeBiden.com explains.
Biden promised that as president he would push for gender-neutral IDs, and this is a noteworthy followthrough on that push for equality.
Though the exact timeframe for when people can expect to have access to “X” gender markers on documents remains unclear, per Reuters, the State Department is “evaluating the best approach to achieve this goal.”
