Airlines must now disregard gender-neutral “X” markers on U.S. passports and record passengers as “M” or “F,” under a new rule by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
Airlines flying into or out of the United States are now required to disregard gender-neutral “X” markers on passports and instead record passengers as “M” for male or “F” for female.
According to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the rule — effective this month — marks a data-collection change and does not affect passengers’ right to travel.
“If the travel document has a sex indicator other than ‘M’ or ‘F,’ the carrier or the traveler should select either,” the agency stated.
CBP said the rule applies only to international flights.
LGBTQ+ advocates say the policy may create confusion for travelers who identify as nonbinary, while the State Department confirmed that existing passports with the “X” marker will remain valid until expiration.