State Department Announces New Standards for Passport Gender Changes
HRC Praises Change, New Policy Lifts an Unnecessary Barrier for Many Transgender Americans
WASHINGTON – The Human Rights Campaign – the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization – today praised the State Department for instituting a new policy, effective immediately, regarding gender change in passports, as well as Consular Reports of Birth Abroad. Under these new rules, an applicant can change his or her gender on a passport by presenting certification from a physician that he or she has undergone appropriate clinical treatment for gender transition, and can obtain a limited-validity passport if the physician indicates that he or she is in the process of gender transition. Previously, an applicant seeking to change his or her gender marker on a passport had to present a physician certification that he or she had completed gender reassignment surgery. The new rules are more consistent with passport gender change procedures in other nations, as well as policies regarding other identity documents, such as driver’s licenses and birth certificates, in a number of states.
“Today’s policy change will allow many more transgender Americans to obtain an important identity document that accurately reflects their true identity and to travel with less fear of discrimination and harassment,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese. “We thank the State Department for taking this important step and congratulate the many organizations that have pushed for this historic change in policy.”
HRC included revising the passport gender change policy as part of its Blueprint for Positive Change, a series of policy recommendations to the Obama administration. In addition, our fellow members of the Council for Global Equality, particularly the National Center for Transgender Equality and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, have lobbied the State Department to institute this important change.
The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.