Mexico introduces new passport for non-binary citizens: ‘All rights must be guaranteed’
Mexico is the latest country to introduce this type of passport
Mexican citizens who identify as non-binary will now be able to make this clear on national documents, thanks to a new passport introduced last week.
The non-binary passport was shown off at an event hosted by Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard.
The politician has been affiliated with the left-wing National Regeneration Movement (MORENA) since 2018.
The date of the first issued passport also coincided with International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (17 May).
“No more hate speech – diversity enriches and flourishes” – Marcelo Ebrard, Mexico Foreign Minister
In a statement, he explained: “We endorse our support for sexual diversity.
“All rights must be guaranteed for all identities. No more hate speech – diversity enriches and flourishes.”
He explained how the new option would change things for those who did not identify as either male or female.
“People applying will be able to choose the marker ‘X’ for the box designating sex on their passport,” Ebrard added. “In that way they omit the need to specify gender.”
He also tweeted a picture of the citizen who picked up the first non-binary passport. The Foreign Minister called it a “great leap for the freedom and dignity of people”.
The passport was given to Ociel Baena, a magistrate and activist of Naucalpan de Juárez, Mexico’s Foreign Ministry said.
It will join 15 other countries that already allow for non-binary documents at a national level.
This means that those nations recognise the ‘X’ marker on passports and other official documentation, such as driving licences.
Mexicans living overseas will soon be able to obtain the documents too.
The nation will begin to issue non-binary passports at consulates and embassies in the US, Canada and the rest of the world from July.
Meanwhile, the UK and several other prominent European countries still don’t allow ‘X’ markers to be used on passports.
In 2021, the UK government confirmed no upcoming plans to make a change. This is despite a petition to include the option for an ‘X’ marker on passports signed by 136,000 people.
The Government response to the petition at the time said: “As set out in the response to the Gender Recognition Act consultation, there are no plans to make changes to the 2004 Act.
“The 2018 GRA consultation did not bring forward any proposals to extend the GRA to provide legal recognition to a third, or non-binary, gender.
“The government noted that there were complex practical consequences for other areas of the law, service provision and public life if provisions were to be made for non-binary gender recognition in the GRA.”