Admin l Wednesday, June 30, 2021
WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden has taken further steps to protect citizens of the United States who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, Two-Spirit, and the countless affirmative ways in which people choose to self-identify as (LGBTQI+)persons through a new directive to Justice Department.
The new directive is different from the several executive actions by the President directing agencies across the U.S. government to take concrete actions to promote and protect the human rights of LGBTQI+ persons around the world.
In the latest measure, President Biden directed the Department to take further steps toward ensuring the fair treatment of LGBTQI+ U.S. citizens, regardless of their gender or sex, by beginning the process of updating procedures for the issuance of U.S. Passports and Consular Reports of Birth Abroad (CRBA).
“Today, I am pleased to announce that the Department will be taking further steps toward ensuring the fair treatment of LGBTQI+ U.S. citizens, regardless of their gender or sex, by beginning the process of updating our procedures for the issuance of U.S. Passports and Consular Reports of Birth Abroad (CRBA)”, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken announced.
According to him, “most immediately, we will be updating our procedures to allow applicants to self-select their gender as “M” or “F” and will no longer require medical certification if an applicant’s self-selected gender does not match the gender on their other citizenship or identity documents.
“The Department has begun moving towards adding a gender marker for non-binary, intersex, and gender non-conforming persons applying for a passport or CRBA”, the department added, stressing that it is evaluating the best approach to achieve this goal.
“The process of adding a gender marker for non-binary, intersex, and gender non-conforming persons to these documents is technologically complex and will take time for extensive systems updates”, the department said.
To achieve this complex transformation, the Department will also be working closely with its interagency partners to ensure as smooth a travel experience as possible for the passport holder.
“ As we work towards this longer-term goal of making available a gender marker for non-binary, intersex, and gender non-conforming persons seeking a passport or CRBA, the Department will provide updates on the process and any interim solutions via our website: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/need-passport/selecting-your-gender-marker.html.
Besides, the Department is taking these steps after considerable consultation with like-minded governments who have undertaken similar changes.
“We also value our continued engagement with the LGBTQI+ community, which will inform our approach and positions moving forward. With this action, I express our enduring commitment to the LGBTQI+ community today and moving forward”, Blinken noted.
