Passport to acceptance? LGBTQ travelers wary about gender-neutral IDs.
japantimes.co.jpLONDON/NEW DELHI – Student Mars Proppe, who identifies as nonbinary — neither male nor female — hoped one day to have a passport marked “X” for gender.
But when Iceland’s government made that choice possible a year ago, Proppe had second thoughts.While more than a dozen countries have introduced gender-neutral travel documents, some nonbinary and transgender people are reluctant to use them because they fear facing discrimination or bureaucratic hurdles when traveling abroad. “I have yet to go and get my master’s degree and hopefully travel through the world, and that’s not something I think I can do … if I have an ‘X’ on my passport.
At least I can’t do it really safely,” said Proppe, 23, who studies astrophysics.“I plan on getting the marker when I’m older and when the world is hopefully more generally friendlier towards nonbinary people,” the student added.LGBTQ rights campaigners have applauded moves by governments from Iceland to the United States to issue gender-neutral passports amid growing awareness and acceptance of diverse gender identities and intersex people.Fulfilling a campaign promise by President Joe Biden, the United States issued its first “X” passport last year to Dana Zzyym, who is nonbinary and intersex, or born with atypical sex characteristics.It joined nations including Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan and India in offering “X” or other third gender options.But several trans and nonbinary people in countries that allow them to have a gender-neutral passport said they worried the designation could draw unwanted attention from immigration officials, or make it difficult to book air tickets.“For a lot of trans people, and definitely including me, people look at me and they see difference, and so.
