American Travelers Who Don't Identify As Male Or Female Can Soon Mark 'X' On Passport

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Americans who do not identify as male or female will soon have a new gender option on their passports.

Starting next month, citizens can use "X" as a gender marker.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken says this is an attempt to be respectful of individuals' privacy while advancing inclusion.

The official designation of the "X" marker is "unspecified or another gender identity."

This is the first time a federal government agency has offered this sort of marker on an identity document.

It comes as TSA announced it's becoming more inclusive by setting up new standards for transgender, gender-nonconforming and nonbinary air travelers.

Among the changes, the screening process will be gender neutral.

Gender identification will no longer be considered relevant for identification verification at checkpoints, but the traveler's name has to be the same on IDs and tickets.