US Issues Landmark Non-Binary Passport to Intersex Activist
Dana Zzyym, a 66-year-old intersex activist and US Navy veteran, has made history by receiving the first US passport with a non-binary gender marker.
Victory After Years of Legal Battle
Zzyym sued the State Department back in 2015 after being denied a passport for refusing to select male or female on the application. The activist identified as non-binary and was determined to get official recognition.
“It was an exciting moment for me,” Zzyym said after receiving the new passport. “I get to go places and say ‘yes, this is who I am’.”
Feeling Trapped Without Recognition
Before this breakthrough, Zzyym described their situation as feeling “like I was in prison.”
“You’re denied a status of being human and it’s like I was not a citizen of this country because I was denied access to leave and only felons and prisoners are not allowed to travel,” they explained.
Global Shift Towards Gender Diversity
The US joins more than 10 countries, including Canada, Germany, and India, in offering a third gender option on official documents, reflecting growing recognition of non-binary and intersex identities worldwide.
