History was made on Wednesday (May 17), the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia. Mexico issued its first non-binary passport.
According to CBS News, the passport was issued to magistrate and activist Ociel Baena of Naucalpan de Juárez, a municipality northwest of Mexico City. Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard called the occasion “a great leap for the freedom and dignity of people.”
In attendance for the ceremony were officials from the Foreign Ministry and Salma Luévano Luna, one of Mexico’s first trans-federal legislators.
“Within the framework of #DiaContraLaLGTBIfobia, we endorse our support for sexual diversity,” the Foreign Ministry tweeted. “All rights must be guaranteed for all identities. No more hate speech; diversity enriches and flourishes.”
Only two other Latin American countries, Argentina and Colombia, offer people non-binary passports. In the United States, an “X” is available as a gender option to choose when applying for a passport.
“The gender you select does not need to match the gender on your supporting documentation such as a birth certificate, previous passport, or state ID,” reads the instructions from the U.S. Department of State. “We no longer require medical documentation to change the gender marker on your U.S. passport.”
In 2021, the first nonbinary U.S. passport was issued to activist and U.S. Navy veteran Dana Zzyym, who filed a federal lawsuit in 2016. Zzyym lobbied for an “X” gender marker on U.S. passports with the State Department.
According to CBS News, non-binary passports will be an option at Mexican consulates and embassies around the world starting in July 2023.