The U.S. State Department announced that it would be changing its policy to allow individuals to self-select the gender for & adding an X gender marker option to U.S. passports. Charlie Arrowood Counsel, Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund (TLDEF) Name Change Project stated, “Today’s announcement by the U.S. State Department is an important step towards equality & fairness for non-binary, transgender, & intersex people. It is a critical recognition by the government that we ourselves are the arbiters of who we are. Removing the doctor’s letter requirement means passport changes are more accessible to the many trans people who do not have access to medical care, whether due to cost, lack of transportation, discrimination, or any other reason & provides the safety & dignity of having identity documents that align with who we are. We hope for swift implementation of the addition of an X option for passports, which will align with the more than 20 states & more than 10 countries that already have these options for state identity documents. There is still so much more the federal government can do to protect the rights of transgender & non-binary people & we look forward to working with the Biden administration on additional changes in the weeks & months ahead.” The Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund is committed to ending discrimination based upon gender identity & expression & to achieving equality for transgender people through public education, test-case litigation, direct legal services & public policy efforts. For More Info…
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