On the last day of June, the U.S. State Department through Secretary Antony Blinken issued a statement announcing that the Biden administration is starting major changes to how a citizen identifies his, her, or "their" gender on the U.S. passport. The government has decided to add a third gender option to the U.S. passport to accommodate "non-binary, intersex, and gender non-conforming persons," a move that was decried by conservatives.
"The Department of State is committed to promoting the freedom, dignity, and equality of all people - including LGBTQI+ persons," Blinken wrote in a statement announcing the introduction of a third gender to passports. "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."
Blinken also declared that the State Department will be "adding a gender marker for non-binary, intersex, and gender non-conforming persons applying for a passport or CRBA."
Back in February 2020, Reuters reported that Democratic Representative Ro Khanna was working on legislation that would "add a gender-neutral option to U.S. passports," which advocates believe would "advance the rights of LGBT+ people" but officials deemed "too expensive."
Khanna argued that "Respecting every American's gender must extend to travel abroad. The freedom to move and express yourself no matter what should be guaranteed in this country."
The legislation aimed to make the U.S. one of more than 10 countries that allow people who do not identify as male or female to declare themselves as identifying with a third gender on passports. Other countries that have done so are Canada, Germany, Australia and India. Under the Biden administration, this change has been realized, but the change has been met with resistance.
According to Christian Headlines, Samaritan's Purse President and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association CEO, evangelist Franklin Graham was one of the first to criticize the government's addition of a third gender to passports, taking to Twitter to voice his concerns over the change.
"It is so disappointing that our government would fall for this kind of absurdity," Graham lamented on Friday. "They are now going to add a third possible gender option for people applying for a passport who don't want to identify as a man or a woman."
Graham argued, "This administration seems to have declared war on common sense, [and] they want everyone to go along [with a] lie."
This administration seems to have declared war on common sense, & they want everyone to go along w/a lie. This is another reminder of the desperate need for Christians to PRAY for our nation & all those in leadership"”whether we agree with them or not. We need God's mercy & help.
"” Franklin Graham (@Franklin_Graham) July 2, 2021
The "lie" that there are only two genders has been heavily debated by legislators in talking about LGBT rights. In June, the Biden administration's Education Secretary Miguel Cardona refused to answer Republican Representative Mary Miller's simple question of how many genders there are, insisting instead that LGBTQ students must have access to schools that are "free from discrimination."
