People applying for a U.S. passport can now self-select their gender with fewer requirements.
The State Department said Wednesday it will allow applicants to self-select their gender as “M” of “F” without requiring “medical certification” if it does not match the gender listed on other citizenship or identifying documents. The department also announced plans to add a new gender marker for non-binary, intersex and gender non-conforming applicants.
“The Department of State is committed to promoting the freedom, dignity, and equality of all people — including LGBTQI+ persons,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.
The announcement comes as advocates have been pushing for years to add a more-inclusive gender marker and for federal IDs to more accurately reflect one’s gender, the American Civil Liberties Union says.
Arli Christian, ACLU campaign strategist, said in a statement that the changes are an “important step forward” and that “improved access to accurate passports will have such a profound impact on the lives of trans, intersex and non-binary folks across the country.”
The Human Rights Campaign said the policy will affect millions of U.S. residents, “including 1.2 million non-binary adults, 2 million transgender people and as many as 5.5 million people who were born intersex.”
“This is an important step towards achieving meaningful progress for LGBTQ equality in America and will empower and enable millions of citizens to travel domestically and internationally with greater confidence that the United States recognizes their gender identity,” HRC President Alphonso David said in a statement.
Here’s what to know about the changes.
Self-selecting your gender
The State Department says U.S. passport applicants can now indicate their gender to be printed on their passport just by checking “M” or “F.”
“You no longer need to provide medical certification or a physician’s letter when applying for a U.S. passport in a gender that does not match the gender on your citizenship evidence or photo ID,” the department says.
Applicants will also not be required to change the gender listed on their birth certificate or driver’s license before changing it on their passport.
Those who want to request a new passport with a different gender than the one listed on their current passport should submit a new application, the State Department says. The form to apply for a first passport or to replace a full-validity passport can be found here.
Those who want to replace their limited-validity passport with a full-validity passport can submit this form.
“Under our previous passport policies, if you were in the process of transitioning to a new gender when you applied for your passport, you may have received a limited-validity passport,” the State Department says. “We no longer require medical certification or a physician’s letter as evidence of a gender transition.”
A new gender marker
The State Department says “M” and “F” are currently the only gender markers that can be printed on passports.
But it says it’s “begun moving towards” adding a new gender marker for non-binary, intersex and gender-nonconforming people.
The department says it can’t “provide an exact timeline” for when the new marker will be available but that it is working to add it as soon as possible.
“The process of adding a gender marker for non-binary, intersex and gender non-conforming persons to these documents is technologically complex and will take time for extensive systems updates,” Blinken said “The department will also be working closely with its interagency partners to ensure as smooth a travel experience as possible for the passport holder.”
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