Mexico issues the first non-binary passport in its history

Mexico issued the first non-binary passport in its history this week. Jesús Ociel Baena Saucedo is officially identified as "X" on his passport. This initiative was started by the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs, headed by Marcelo Ebrard, to commemorate the International Day Against Homophobia.

Mexico joins the list of 16 countries in the world that issue documents that identify individuals as non-binary. In addition to Mexico, non-binary passports are also issued by Argentina, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and India. The Biden administration announced in March that Americans will also be able to make an "X" in the gender box of their identity documents.

The non-binary identity passport allows people to identify themselves as neither man nor woman. The Mexican Foreign Minister assured that it was a historic day for Mexico. "It is a cultural change, a quantum leap, great changes always begin in culture," stressed Marcelo Ebrard.

Other members of the Mexican administration supported Jesús Ociel Baena Saucedo as he was given his new document, such as the head of Consular Services, Jaime Vázquez Bracho. Mexican transgender congresswoman Salma Luévano Luna also attended the document presentation ceremony. Jesús Ociel recognized his work toward getting non-binary documents approved. Deputy Luévano claimed that the non-binary passport is a "dignification" that "historically is owed" to non-binary people.

In 2022, the Mexican Supreme Court of Justice recognized the right of transgender minors to rectify their gender on birth certificates and identity documents. Since then, several state institutions have made executive decisions along these lines. According to the National Institute of Statistics and Geography, Mexico has a population of around 5 million people who identify with the LGBT movement, making up approximately 5% of the population aged 15 and older.

The document's reliability may be in question. Argentina, which adopted the non-binary document in 2021, warned of potential complications when entering a foreign country with a non-binary passport. "People who ask for the non-binary identification document are warned that they may encounter problems because in most countries that category does not exist," a spokesperson for the Argentine Foreign Ministry said in July 2021.