U.S. citizens can now choose the gender 'X' on their passport applications

The cover of a U.S. Passport is displayed in Tigard, Ore., Dec. 11, 2021. Americans can now renew their passports online, bypassing a cumbersome mail-in paper application process that often caused delays. The State Department announced Wednesday that its online passport renewal system is now fully operational.

Jenny Kane / Jenny Kane

U.S. citizens applying for a passport can now select the gender “X” on their applications in addition to the previously available “F” and “M” options.

The State Department announced last year that it was adding a third gender option following a lawsuit by an intersex and nonbinary Colorado resident who argued that it was impossible to get a passport that accurately reflected their gender identity.

The change took effect on Monday, with passport application forms on the government’s website reflecting the additional choice.