Bloomberg — Americans will soon be able to designate their gender with an “X” on passports, and by fall, transgender people will no longer have to present a doctor’s note to update their gender identity at the Social Security Administration, the Biden administration announced Thursday.
These changes are part of a series of steps taken on International Transgender Awareness Day to reaffirm the identity of transgender and non-binary people in the US and address the challenges they face.
The State Department will allow the “X” gender marker for those who do not identify as male or female on passports beginning April 11, and the Department of Homeland Security is working with airlines to make it easier to use for travel and immigration. security. The Transportation Security Administration’s policies and procedures are also being updated to limit the use of gender-based searches and other measures considered especially intrusive for transgender people.
The White House also said that federal agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Education, are introducing new resources and procedures for transgender people and, in particular, children, as well as parents and health care providers.
The administration is also committing $10 million to research on how best to add questions related to gender identity and sexual orientation to the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
“Everyone deserves the right to have identity documents that reflect who they are, and to go through airport security without harassment or public humiliation,” LGBTQ advocacy group GLAAD said in a statement.. “At a time when so many state legislatures are attacking our community, it’s heartening that federal leadership is taking so many steps to support LGBTQ Americans, especially trans youth.”
The administration’s moves come after several states introduced laws targeting transgender and non-binary people.as well as other members of the LGBTQ+ community.
With the assistance of Anna Yukhananov.
This article was translated by Andrea González