Stonewall calls for ‘gender X’ option on passports
from BBC News:
UK passports should allow people to define themselves as “X” as an alternative to male or female, campaigners have said.
Stonewall, a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights group, said it would benefit people who face difficulties at passport control.
The government said it was reviewing the way gender is marked in official documents, including passports.
A spokesman said the UK had “strong laws…to protect transgender people.”
He added: “We are committed to delivering further positive changes for transgender people.”
The passport proposal comes days after HSBC let its customers choose non-gender specific titles such as Mx, M and Misc for their bank accounts.
‘Afraid to travel’
It is estimated that about 650,000 people identify as trans in the UK. Stonewall said many were “afraid to travel abroad” because they feared intrusive questions at passport control.
In Australia, passport-holders can choose “X” as an option if their gender as indeterminate, as part of changes introduced in 2011.
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