Passport officials cannot be obliged to offer gender-neutral documents, the country’s most senior judges have said in a ruling that ends a 25-year campaign for reform.
This morning five Supreme Court judges unanimously rejected a claim by Christie Elan-Cane, that would allow a third category of ‘X’ on UK passports.
The judges, who were led by the court’s president, Lord Reed, 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 the genders that were recognised.
In a tweet, Elan-Cane who began campaigning more than 25 years ago for legal and social recognition for non-gendered identity — accused the judges of being “on the wrong side of history.”
Currently, all UK passport holders have to specify whether they are male or female.
Speaking after the ruling, Christie Elan-Cane, who has fought on the issue since 1995, said they were “bitterly disappointed” and that non-gendered people are “socially invisible” and being “denied civil rights”.
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