Instead of the designation, the woman or man has an “X” in the gender section. This means that the owner of the document is non-binary, that is, they do not define themselves as a woman or a man. Dan Zzyy, a 66-year-old intersex activist, became the first owner of a passport with the label in America.
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“We almost cried when we opened the envelope and pulled out our new passport, where X was in the gender section,” said Zzyym, a former US Navy veteran. “It took six years, but having a passport that doesn’t force me to identify myself as a man or a woman, but recognizes that I’m not one, is liberating,” he adds. It was Zzyym who filed a lawsuit with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2015 due to the impossibility of mentioning the third sex on a travel document.
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According to British The BBC has previously refused to issue a passport to Zzyym * because of the impossibility of stating the required gender. “You are denied being human. It is as if we are not a citizen of this country, because we have been prevented from coming out. Only prisoners and criminals do not have the opportunity to travel, “they explain.
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The decision comes within a more open government to LGBTQ + communities led by President Biden. “On the occasion of the issuance of this passport, I would like to reiterate the State Department’s commitment to promoting the freedom, dignity and equality of all people, including LGBTQ + people,” said Ministry spokesman Ned Price.
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Special envoy Jessica Stern, in charge of promoting LGBTQ + rights around the world, Biden said in a decision to reduce the level of “dehumanizing harassment and ill-treatment that often occurs at border crossings if the legal documents are not gender-appropriate”.
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In June, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken informed about the possibility of the third column in the passport. However, its expansion will depend on the speed of change in computer systems. Non-binary Americans would not be able to find their box in the forms until next year. So far, the only option for individuals seeking to enroll in a gender other than their birth certificate is a doctor’s certificate.
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According to a London organization focusing on equality and inclusion in employment, the Employers Network for Equality and Inclusion offers 11 other countries around the world. These include, for example, Argentina, Australia, Canada, Germany, India, Nepal, New Zealand and Pakistan, according to the German server German wave.
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