Canadian Passports to have ‘X’ gender starting Aug. 31

By the end of the month, you will be allowed to have a neutral gender on your Canadian passport and immigration documents.

The Ministry of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship announced that a new gender designation, “X,” for those who don’t identify as male or female, will be available starting Aug. 31.

READ MORE: MPs pass bill to make ‘O Canada’ gender neutral, pending Senate approval

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“By introducing an “X” gender designation in our government-issued documents, we are taking an important step towards advancing equality for all Canadians regardless of gender identity or expression,” Minister Ahmed Hussen said in a statement.

It’s the latest in a series of policy changes supported by Bill C-16, which defends the rights of transgender people and makes it illegal to discriminate based on “gender identity or expression.”

The government first hinted at gender changes to the passport in November, 2016.

Since then, British Columbia has become the first place in the world to issue a birth certificate without a gender marker. In Ontario, the third gender marker “X” is already in use on the province’s licences.