U.S. airlines received new federal instructions that modify the registration process for travelers with passports that include the “X” gender marker, designed for non-binary, intersex, or gender-nonconforming individuals.
Starting this month, airlines must ignore the “X” designation and register passengers exclusively as “M” (male) or “F” (female).
The regulation was imposed by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The new requirement affects all international flights entering or leaving the country but does not apply to domestic flights.
The CBP stated that while passports issued with the “X” option remain valid, the computer system managing international passenger registration no longer accepts that option.
As a result, all airlines operating flights to or from the United States must classify each international passenger under the traditional binary markers.
“If a passenger’s travel document for an international flight to or from the United States shows an indicator other than ‘M’ or ‘F,’ or does not specify the passenger’s sex, the airline or the traveler themselves must select ‘M’ or ‘F,’” the Customs and Border Protection reported on its official site.
The CBP clarified that the regulation represents an update in data collection and does not change any individual’s ability to travel. “All travelers with valid U.S. documents are being processed normally,” the agency reported. It also announced that for new registrations or renewals in the Trusted Traveler Program, applicants must choose between male or female. A spokesperson for the agency emphasized that “the applicant’s sex selection does not affect admission to the United States.”
This directive follows a transition period that ended in mid-October 2025, after a 90-day grace period during which airlines could continue accepting non-binary gender markers. The electronic Advance Passenger Information System, used by airlines to report passenger data to the government, no longer recognizes the “X” variable.
Passports with the “X” Designation
The non-binary gender option on U.S. passports has been available since 2022, following campaigns by LGBTIQ+ rights organizations. Until that year, the State Department allowed applicants to mark their gender as “M,” “F,” or “X,” without requiring medical documentation.
However, this year the State Department announced it would stop issuing new passports with the “X” designation, and current documents will remain valid only until their expiration date.
The official directive formalizes the U.S. administration’s stance on the legal treatment of gender. Under Executive Order 14168 issued by President Donald Trump, it was established that “passports shall reflect only the sex listed on the holder’s original birth certificate.”
Airlines, represented by the group Airlines for America, confirmed compliance with the new federal instruction.
The organization stated: “Our members strictly implement all federal regulations and executive orders and are prepared to fully adjust to the new designations.”
LGBTIQ+ rights organizations expressed concerns about the impact on non-binary travelers and warned that the practical effects of these regulations remain to be evaluated.
The digital group Mama Bears, which supports LGBTIQ+ families, posted a recommendation on social media for those with passports marked “X”: “Know that you have the right to travel; this is a data issue, not a ban.”
Policies on gender recognition in official documentation have gone through several phases. The inclusion of transgender individuals in passports dates back to the 1990s, with the requirement of providing proof of gender reassignment surgery.
In 2021, gender could be indicated by self-identification without medical records. With this new requirement, the electronic registration of international passengers in the United States reinforces binary categorization, even as previously issued passports with “X” remain valid until their expiration.
Image: Infobae
