US issues first gender-neutral ‘X’ passport

The United States has issued its first gender-neutral passport.

The document has an “X” in the gender box, signalling that the holder does not identify as either male or female.

It was issued to Dana Zzyym, a 66-year-old intersex activist, who sued the State Department over the issue in 2015.

The US Navy veteran said it was “an exciting moment for me” after getting the new passport. “I get to go places and say ‘yes, this is who I am’.”

Zymm, who identifies as non-binary, was previously denied a passport after failing to mark male or female in an application.

Before getting the new passport, Zymm said “it felt like I was in prison”.

“You’re denied a status of being human and it’s like I was not a citizen of this country because I was denied access to leave and only felons and prisoners are not allowed to travel.”

In June, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that the X marker would be offered as an option on passports.

Before, people needed medical certification to mark their gender as different from the one on their birth certificate.