[ti:US Issues First Passport with ‘X’ Gender]
[by:www.21voa.com]
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[00:00.04]The United States has issued its first passport
[00:04.92]with an “X” sex, or gender, designation.
[00:10.48]The State Department said Wednesday that it expects
[00:15.28]to be able to offer the choice more widely next year.
[00:21.20]It is a major step in the recognition of the rights of people
[00:27.40]who do not consider themselves male or female.
[00:32.72]Jessica Stern is the Biden administration’s
[00:36.96]special diplomatic representative for LGBTQ rights.
[00:44.56]She said it brings government documents in line
[00:48.84]with the “lived reality” that there are more sexes
[00:53.68]than just male or female.
[00:57.08]The agency did not announce who received the passport.
[01:03.16]But Dana Zzyym claimed ownership
[01:06.16]in a telephone call with The Associated Press.
[01:11.52]Zzyym added, “I’m not a problem. I’m a human being.”
[01:17.96]Zzyym, an intersex activist from Colorado,
[01:23.08]has battled the agency since 2015.
[01:28.60]Zzyym was denied a passport
[01:31.44]for failing to choose male or female on official documents.
[01:37.88]Court documents say Zzyym wrote “intersex”
[01:42.00]above the boxes marked “M” and “F.”
[01:46.60]In a separate letter, Zzyym requested
[01:50.36]an “X” designation for intersex.
[01:55.12]Zzyym was born without a definite gender.
[02:00.48]Court documents say Zzymm was raised as a boy
[02:05.12]and underwent several operations to appear fully male.
[02:11.72]Zzyym served in the Navy as a male
[02:15.16]but later came to identify as intersex
[02:19.44]while working and studying at Colorado State University.
[02:25.96]The State Department’s denial of Zzyym’s passport
[02:29.80]prevented Zzyym from being able to travel
[02:33.36]to a meeting of Organization Intersex International in Mexico.
[02:40.88]The State Department announced in June that it was moving
[02:45.04]toward adding a third gender designation for nonbinary,
[02:50.84]intersex, and gender-nonconforming people.
[02:56.00]A nonbinary person is someone whose gender identity
[03:01.08]is not completely male or female.
[03:05.20]A gender-nonconforming person is someone
[03:09.20]who does not follow the expected behaviors of their birth gender.
[03:15.96]The State Department said that adding a third gender designation
[03:21.36]would take time because it would require
[03:24.60]many changes to its computer system.
[03:29.16]An official said the passport document and system
[03:33.88]with the “X” designation still must be approved
[03:38.68]by the Office of Management and Budget.
[03:43.52]The agency now also permits individuals
[03:47.80]to choose if they are male or female.
[03:51.00]It no longer requires them to provide medical documents
[03:56.52]if their gender is not the same
[03:59.24]as what is listed on other official documents.
[04:04.76]The United States joins a small group of countries
[04:08.80]that permits citizens to choose a gender
[04:12.44]other than male or female on their passports.
[04:17.48]It includes Australia, New Zealand, Nepal, and Canada.
[04:25.00]Stern said her office planned
[04:27.64]to talk about the United States’ experience
[04:30.88]with the change in its dealings with other countries.
[04:35.80]She hopes that it might push other governments
[04:39.04]to offer the X marker.
[04:42.52]“We see this as a way of affirming
[04:45.48]and uplifting the human rights of trans
[04:49.28]and intersex and gender-nonconforming
[04:53.40]and nonbinary people everywhere,” she said.
[04:58.88]I’m Gregory Stachel. 更多听力请访问21VOA.COM