Victory for Trans Americans Passport Holders

June 14, 2010

Transgender Americans will now be able to change the gender marker on their passport without having to undergo sex reassignment surgery.

 The change was announced last week by the State Department after intense lobbying efforts by trans groups in the country.

A State Department release said: “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 needed.”

The change is “a significant advance in providing safe, human and dignified treatment of transgender people,” said Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, in a statement last Thursday.

Keisling said the previous policy “unnecessarily called attention to transgender travelers whose appearance and gender marker were at odds. In some destinations, this had the potential to create an extremely dangerous situation when a traveler was outed as transgender in an unwelcoming environment or in the presence of prejudiced security personnel.”

“We want to extend our thanks to the Obama administration and particularly to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for understanding the need for this change and then responding to make travel safer for transgender people,” Kiesling added. “This shows how changes in government policy directly impact people’s lives, in this case, for the better.”

Michael D. Silverman, executive director of the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund, said the changed was necessary to protect trans people overseas.

“Adoption of this safety-focused policy is a giant step forward in protecting transgender Americans abroad, and in fulfilling the State Department’s commitment to protect all Americans when they travel, work or live overseas.”

Image source: AMK1211