In Landmark Step, US Issues First Passport With 'X' Gender

The US State Department said it would make the "X" gender option routinely available by early 2022 both for passports and birth certificates of Americans abroad.

The United States on Wednesday announced its first passport with "X" for gender, a landmark step for people outside the binary male or female categories.

The State Department said it had issued a first passport with "X" for gender and would make the option routinely available by early 2022 both for passports and birth certificates of Americans abroad.

"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," State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken had promised to address the issue in June but said that there were technological hurdles that needed to be addressed.