The Supreme Court has backed the UK Government's decision to not allow gender-neutral passports, <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10312371/Supreme-Court-backs-Governments-decision-not-allow-gender-neutral-passports.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daily Mail</a> reports. Earlier this year, an appeal was filed from campaigner Christie Elan-Cane who believes the Government's current passport policy is "degrading" and "illogical". Christie Elan-Cane, who identifies as non-gendered, said requiring people to say if they are male or female on application forms breaches human rights laws. <img class=" wp-image-1263138800" src="https://img.vt.co/2021/12/Screenshot-2021-12-15-at-13.39.20-1024x700.jpg" alt="" width="720" height="492" />[[imagecaption|| Credit: Peter Titmuss / Alamy]] The activist brought a case to the UK's highest court in the latest round of a legal battle for 'X' passports, however, it was denied. Elan-Cane, who uses the pronouns per/per/perself, has campaigned for more than 25 years to achieve legal and social recognition for non-gendered identity. Challenging the policy administered by Her Majesty's Passport Office (HMPO), Elan-Cane argued that the application process requiring individuals to indicate their gender is unlawful and illogical. In a judgment on Wednesday, December 15, the Supreme Court unanimously dismissed the appeal. <img class="wp-image-1263138801" src="https://img.vt.co/2021/12/KD92JX-1024x683.jpg" alt="" width="738" height="492" />[[imagecaption|| Christie Elan-Cane. Credit: PA Images / Alamy]] Giving the ruling, Lord Reed said: "The form is concerned with the applicants’ gender as a biographical detail which can be used to confirm their identity by checking it against the birth, adoption or gender recognition certificates provided and other official records. "It is, therefore, the gender recognized for legal purposes and recorded in those documents which is relevant." The President of the Supreme Court found that Elan-Cane's interest in being issued with an 'X' passport was "outweighed" by other considerations, including "maintaining a coherent approach across government" as to what genders are recognized. "There is no legislation in the United Kingdom which recognizes a non-gendered category of individuals. On the contrary, legislation across the statute book assumes that all individuals can be categorized as belonging to one of two sexes or genders, terms which have been used interchangeably, Lord Reed added. <img class=" wp-image-1263112515" src="https://img.vt.co/2021/06/Biden-FI-Website-1.jpg" alt="" width="693" height="361" />[[imagecaption|| Credit: Alamy / Chuck Nacke]] It comes as US President Joe Biden this summer announced that <a href="https://vt.co/news/us/biden-administration-set-to-give-us-citizens-gender-neutral-option-on-passports" target="_blank" rel="noopener">his administration will give US citizens a gender-neutral option on passports</a>. In honor of the last day of Pride Month on June 30, the White House announced the change in legislation, as part of a series of sweeping reforms aimed at promoting sex and gender equality in the United States. Secretary of State Antony Blinken explained <a href="https://www.state.gov/proposing-changes-to-the-departments-policies-on-gender-on-u-s-passports-and-consular-reports-of-birth-abroad/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in an official statement</a> that the move was down to the president's "enduring commitment" to the LGBTQI+ community. Blinken stated: <blockquote>"The Department of State is committed to promoting the freedom, dignity, and equality of all people — including LGBTQI+ persons. "Most immediately, we will be updating our procedures to allow applicants to self-select their gender as 'M' or 'F' and will no longer require medical certification if an applicant’s self-selected gender does not match the gender on their other citizenship or identity documents."</blockquote> Per <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-57682881">BBC News</a>, however, Blinken added that adding a third gender option - giving a choice to nonbinary, intersex and gender-nonconforming US citizens - will take time. Despite this, he said that the move is on President Biden's agenda. <h6>Featured image credit: Neil Crittenden / Alamy</h6>

UK Supreme Court rejects gender-neutral passports

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