Argentina offers 'x' gender option for national ID document and passport

The nation of Argentina is allowing people to utilize an "x" in the gender field on their national ID document and passport, according to Reuters.

"The ideal will be when all of us are just who we are and no one cares about people's gender," Argentina's President Alberto Fernández said, according to the outlet. "This is a step we are taking and I hope one day we get to the point where IDs don't say if someone is a man, woman or anything else."

The U.S. government allows people to self-identify as either male or female on their passport regardless of whether the gender they choose matches the gender listed on their supporting documentation like their birth certificate or state ID.

"You can now select the gender you would like printed on your U.S. passport, even if the gender you select does not match the gender on your supporting documentation such as a birth certificate, previous passport, or state ID. We no longer require medical certification to change the gender marker on your U.S. passport," according to travel.state.gov.

The State Department aims to eventually provide the option of "a gender marker for non-binary, intersex, and gender non-conforming persons."

"Today, I am pleased to announce that the Department will be taking further steps toward ensuring the fair treatment of LGBTQI+ U.S. citizens, regardless of their gender or sex, by beginning the process of updating our procedures for the issuance of U.S. Passports and Consular Reports of Birth Abroad (CRBA)," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a June 30 press statement.

"Most immediately, we will be updating our procedures to allow applicants to self-select their gender as "M" or "F" and will no longer require medical certification if an applicant's self-selected gender does not match the gender on their other citizenship or identity documents. The Department has begun moving towards adding a gender marker for non-binary, intersex, and gender non-conforming persons applying for a passport or CRBA. We are evaluating the best approach to achieve this goal. The process of adding a gender marker for non-binary, intersex, and gender non-conforming persons to these documents is technologically complex and will take time for extensive systems updates," the statement notes.