US Issues First 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.
Fighting for Recognition
Zzyym sued the State Department back in 2015 after being denied a passport for refusing to choose “male” or “female” on the application. The veteran, who identifies as non-binary, described the moment of finally getting the new passport as “exciting.”
“I get to go places and say ‘yes, this is who I am’.” – Dana Zzyym
A Prison Without Bars
Before this breakthrough, Zzyym said it “felt like I was in prison.” They explained,
“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.”
Global Trend Toward Third Gender Recognition
The US is catching up to over 10 countries like Canada, Germany, and India, which already allow a third gender option on official documents—marking a big step for non-binary and intersex rights worldwide.
