House Democrat introduces bill to create third gender option on passports

Americans who do not identify as male or female may soon have a new box to check when applying for their passports.

Rep. Ro Khanna, a California Democrat, introduced a bill on Monday that would order the State Department to create a third gender option on passports. The Gender Inclusive Passport Act would add a new option that would be a gender-neutral designation available on passports, passport cards, and for “other purposes.”

Passports were long denied by the State Department if the applicant refused to select the male or female option on the application. In 2015, Dana Zzyym, a nonbinary individual, placed the letter "x" on the passport application rather than selecting male or female. The application was denied, and Zzymm sued the State Department for discrimination. A lower court ruled in Zzymm's favor in 2018, but the State Department appealed the ruling. The issue remains unsettled as it awaits review from the higher courts. Zzymm still has not received a passport with the nonbinary designation.

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