The United States’ first gender ‘X’ passport has been given to a Navy veteran who has been campaigning for it since 2015.
63-year-old Dana Zzyym, who uses the pronounces they/them, received the passport with the new option and shared a photo of it with Daily Mail.
It was in 2015 when Zzyym first asked for the change while filling out their passport form.
The groundbreaking change will become an option for all Americans applying for passports starting next year.
This comes after the department announced that it was modifying its gender requirements to be more inclusive of the LGBTQ community.
In 2015, Zzyym – an inters*x activist and former sailor – sued the department petitioning for a change in policy.
Court documents from the lawsuit showed that Zzyym wrote ‘inters*x’ above the boxes marked ‘F’ and ‘M’ and requested for an ‘X’ option.
On Wednesday, Lambda Legal – a New York-based law firm – revealed on social media that their client was the inaugural recipient of the three-gender passport.
Jessica Stern, the State Department’s newly appointed special diplomatic envoy for LGBTQ rights, praised the modification and said the change is set to bring government documents in line with the ‘lived reality.’
“When a person obtains identity documents that reflect their true identity, they live with greater dignity and respect,” she said.
State Department spokesperson Ned Price also revealed that the department is looking forward to making the ‘X’ gender option on passports available to all applicants early next year.
“I want to reiterate, on the occasion of this passport issuance, the Department of State’s commitment to promoting the freedom, dignity, and equality of all people – including LGBTQI+ persons,” Price said after the announcement of the change.
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