Argentina makes history as the first South American country to roll out identification cards for non-binary citizens by allowing them to use “x” on their official national identification document and passports in the field pertaining to gender.
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a specialized funding agency under the United Nations, has already accepted the use of “x” in official air travel.
The South American country joins New Zealand, Canada, and Australia, which have already implemented this change. The US has also announced plans to make the option available on passports, although the choice has not yet been implemented.
President Alberto Fernández introduced the document change last Wednesday, saying “There are other identities besides that of man and woman, and they must be respected… [there are] a thousand ways to love and be loved and be happy.” The President, along with the Minister of the Interior, Eduardo de Pedro, and the Minister of Women, Gender, and Diversity, Elizabeth Gómez Alcorta, presented the first three non-binary ID cards.
The Peronist leader has been a longtime advocate of progressive social reforms, publicly championing his son, Estanislau Fernández, a well-known drag queen, and pushed legislation through to legalize abortion last year.
