Stonewall calls for a new gender on passports to include non-binary people
Stonewall is calling for the recognition of non-binary people on British passports.
According to the proposal, released today as part of the LGBT charity’s “five-year plan” for trans inclusion, the government would include a new “X” gender category on passports.
The charity is also calling for the spousal veto to be eliminated and changing the Equality Act to protect people’s “gender identity,” eliminating the outdated terms “gender reassignment” and “transsexual”.
Trans people should also not have to provide medical evidence to legally change their gender, the charity has said.
The “X” category would also be on official government forms in the charity’s plan, which it said would help trans and non-binary people to avoid difficulties they have always suffered.
“Not having legal recognition means non-binary people must constantly live as someone they are not,” the charity stated, adding that they are “not recognised or protected under law”.
Bex Stinson, head of trans inclusion at Stonewall, said: “Limiting passport gender markers to ‘male’ and ‘female’ often presents hurdles for trans people, and can lead to them choosing not to travel at all.
“If the way a person expresses their gender identity does not ‘match’ the gender in their passport, this can lead to distressing questions.
“This situation would be avoided if ‘X’ markers were available for UK passport holders.”
The document also explained how trans people can face “especially worrying” difficulties while travelling with children, “particularly if they had, or adopted, children when they were legally a different gender.
“The International Civil Aviation Organisation allows passports to be issued with an ‘X’ gender marker, but the UK does not issue these.”
Australia, New Zealand and Nepal already allow third-gender or gender X passports, while Canada allows foreign visitors to identify themselves as “other” on official forms.
Stonewall has also pledged to fight for “better representation of trans people, in both the media and gender equality campaigns, and for LGBT events to be fully trans-inclusive”.
The charity also aims to raise awareness of hate crimes against trans people, as well as ensuring that people know how to report them.
The launch of the five-year plan comes on the heels of HSBC’s announcement that trans and non-binary customers will now be able to choose from 10 new gender-neutral pronouns.
Stonewall recently secured a partnership with Manchester United, the most successful team in British football history, raising the charity’s profile and the prominence of LGBT issues.
