Confirming the news on 27 October, the US State Department said the move will allow people to have something other than “male” or “female” listed on their travel document – instead giving the option of an “X” designation.
It follows similar changes from countries such as Canada, Germany, India and Australia. Ned Price, a spokesperson for the State Department, explained that America has been heading towards adding the option when applying for passports or Consular Reports of Birth Abroad.
Lambda Legal claimed that its client, Dana Zzyym, was the recipient of the first gender-neutral passport – though Price did not confirm this.