U.K. Supreme Court To Hear Case On Gender-Neutral Passports
The U.K. Supreme Court is to hear a significant LGBT+ rights case, which could force the country to adopt the internationally recognised non-gendered ‘X’ option in passports.
Christie Elan-Cane, a non-binary campaigner, has been fighting for three decades for ‘X’ Passports, and now the fight will go to the U.K.’s top court.
“I’ve campaigned for nearly 30 years for legitimate identity that most people can take for granted. Legitimate identity is a fundamental human right that includes the right to obtain an accurate I.D.,” Elan-Cane said while talking to ‘Forbes’.
Following the news per case will go ahead after being denied at the Court of Appeal in March Elan Cane who uses per/perself pronouns added:
“Legitimate identity is a fundamental human right, but non-gendered people are treated as though we have no rights.
“The U.K. Government has over a period of years spanning into decades barely acknowledged our existence and refuses to acknowledge our disenfranchisement while its systems and bureaucracy render us socially invisible.”
Cane adds: “The ‘X’ Passport is essential for anyone who defines their identity as neither male nor female. Some gendered trans people and intersex people also would prefer not to have a gendered reference on their I.D..”
“If the ‘M’ or ‘F’ reference is not how the person presents, then that person is likely to encounter problems, whether that is problems at the airport or problems at the polling station.”
X’ identifiers on Passports, alongside ‘M’ and ‘F’, comply with the U.N. International Civil Aviation Organisation [ICAO] accepted standards. Ultimately meaning all countries can choose to introduce them for their citizens, by including them in the application process.
Clifford Chance, who are pro-bono working with Blackstone Chambers represent Elan-Cane.
“This case raises important questions regarding the right to respect for individuals’ identity, specifically for those who identify as neither or not exclusively male or female,” says Jemima Roe, Associate at Clifford Chance.
“Access to X passports is crucial for the protection of the human rights of this demographic, who are otherwise forced to use a passport which misrepresents their identity. Clifford Chance is proud to be working with Christie and Blackstone Chambers to argue this case before the Supreme Court.”
Passports with a genderless option are available to people in Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Iceland, India, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nepal, Pakistan and Uruguay, according to ‘Forbes’.
Just this week, Belgium’s new government announced it will introduce gender-neutrality throughout its term and make it possible for non-binary citizens to use the gender identifier “X”.
Read related myGwork articles here:
UK Court Rules Against Gender-neutral Passports
Costa Rica to allow transgender people to change gender on passports
Pakistan allows trans people to self-identify gender without approval from medical board
Taiwan to allow gender neutral option for official documents
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