Mexico has taken a historic step by issuing the first non-binary passports

Mexico City – Mexico on Wednesday issued three non-binary passports, a move seen by authorities as a breakthrough in the LGBT community’s fight for rights.

One of the first people to benefit from the move was Jesus Pena, a human rights activist and interim magistrate of the central state of Aguascalientes, who had fought for the community’s rights for years. In addition to the pen, officials issued non-binary passports to two Houston residents.

With the decision, Mexico, a country with largely Catholic and conservative traditions, joined a small group of 16 countries that recognize genders other than male and female in passports, Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said. Very important to society.

“This is the Mexican government’s recognition of a legal personality based on the free development of personality,” Pena told The Associated Press as she proudly displayed her new passport, which features an “x” on the gender line as part of the International Day Against Binary People, Homophobia, Transphobia, Lesbophobia and Biphobia. presented to him.

Pena, who identifies as a “homosexual” sexual orientation and “non-binary” gender, acknowledged that while the new passports represent an important achievement, there is still a long way to go to guarantee the rights of the LGBT community and combat hate speech. According to activists, because of their influence, Mexico is one of the countries with the highest homicide rates of the trans community.

Before receiving her new passport, Peina, 38, had to wage a two-year legal battle that led the U.S. Commission on Human Rights to replace the voter’s credential — a document used in many cases in Mexico. ID-and birth certificate and non-binary gender included.

After years of struggle, the LGBT community achieved significant progress at the end of 2019, thanks to a ruling by the Mexican Supreme Court that established that transgender people in their binary gender identity can be recognized through administrative procedures. Likewise, nineteen of the country’s 32 states have approved legislation to allow transgender people to change their gender in official documents.

Until February last year, Fausto Martínez, an activist for the rights of the LGBT community, became the first Mexican to achieve through an ambaro, who issued him a new birth certificate that shortened the gender order. NB stands for non-binary.

Waving a rainbow-colored fan with his left hand, Peina affirmed that he will continue to act for the LGBT community in Mexico because “struggles make us more resilient to move forward.”