Gender-neutral activist takes UK passports case to high court
by Owen Bowcott, Guardian.
The Home Office is to be challenged to provide gender-neutral, or “X”, passports to UK citizens at a high court hearing this week.
The application for a judicial review is being made by lawyers on behalf of Christie Elan-Cane, who has campaigned on the issue for 25 years and given evidence to parliament about transgender equality.
Last month Canada became the 10th country to offer citizens gender-neutral travel documents. Australia, Denmark, Germany, Malta, New Zealand, Pakistan, India, Ireland and Nepal already have a third category besides male and female.
Standards for machine-readable passports set by the UN International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) allow for individual states to enter M, F or X in the category specifying an individual’s sex. X stands for unspecified.
Elan-Crane appeared before the Commons women and equalities select committee two years ago to give evidence for their inquiry into transgender equality.
“Legitimate identity is a fundamental human right but non-gendered people are often treated as though we have no rights,” Elan-Cane said. “The UK’s passport application process requires applicants to declare whether they are male or female. It is inappropriate and wrong that someone who defines as neither should be forced to make that declaration.’’
Elan-Cane, who was born a women but began transitioning after surgery, believes individuals should be given more than the binary choice of being a man or a woman. Since July more than 40 MPs have signed an early day motion in favour of gender-neutral passports.
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