New Policy on Gender Change in Passports Announced (U.S.)

[mercurychaos]

The U.S. Department of State is pleased to use the occasion of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Pride Month to announce its new policy guidelines regarding gender change in passports and Consular Reports of Birth Abroad.

Beginning June 10, when a passport applicant presents a certification from an attending medical physician that the applicant has undergone appropriate clinical treatment for gender transition, the passport will reflect the new gender. The guidelines include detailed information about what information the certification must include. It is also possible to obtain a limited-validity passport if the physician’s statement shows the applicant is in the process of gender transition. No additional medical records are required. Sexual reassignment surgery is no longer a prerequisite for passport issuance. A Consular Report of Birth Abroad can also be amended with the new gender.

As with all passport applicants, passport issuing officers at embassies and consulates abroad and domestic passport agencies and centers will only ask appropriate questions to obtain information necessary to determine citizenship and identity.

The new policy and procedures are based on standards and recommendations of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), recognized by the American Medical Association as the authority in this field.

So basically transgender Americans will now be able to get their gender marker changed on their passport with what amounts to a note from their doctor — they won't ask you for medical records, nor if you've had surgery, and indeed they have explicitly said that surgery is not required. Fuck yeah.


Source (state.gov)

ETA: read the full policy here (PDF.)

Comments

[ex_pale698]

Here's hoping Canada will do the same...

[red_trillium]

Thank you for posting this. As an American living abroad it gives me an option to visit home sooner than I thought I would.

I'm curious to know how this will affect id such as birth certificates and social security. Do they have to match? While BCs are state by state, social security info would be at the federal level which is where the passports are.

Also, do you have sources and can I share this with our local FTM board/my journal?

[gelasius]

The announcement on the Dept of State website is here.

[red_trillium]

Cheers!

[mercurychaos]

The source is linked at the bottom, and I added a link to a PDF with the text of the policy.

[red_trillium]

Thank you!

[bazz]

Holy sh*t. This is wonderful. It's about bleeping time. I argued with them over my passport for years. No more discrimination against the poor!!!

[bazz]

THANK YOU OBAMA ADMINISTRATION!!!! AND TO THE ENLIGHTENED PERSONS WHO WORKED ON THIS IN THE BACKGROUND!!!!

http://otrans.3cdn.net/40532550632956d0e8_d1m6b5275.pdf

I am sending in my passport for correction TODAY.