The Human Rights Campaign commends the State Department for advancing a new policy to allow non-binary, intersex, and gender non-conforming Americans to obtain a passport that accurately reflects their gender identity and for updating the existing policy to modernize the process for updating gender markers. These policies — which the Human Rights Campaign called for in our Blueprint for Positive Change — will decrease the risk of discrimination, harassment, and violence for an already vulnerable group.

More than a third of states already issue forms of identification with non-binary gender markers and the United States has accepted foreign passports from nearly a dozen countries — including Argentina, Denmark, New Zealand, and Canada — with a third gender option for years. As a leader on the global stage, the United States is now modernizing its policies and must also encourage other nations to adopt inclusive policies that support non-binary and transgender people.

This is an important step towards achieving meaningful progress for LGBTQ equality in America, and will empower and enable millions of citizens to travel domestically and internationally with greater confidence that the United States recognizes their gender identity.