Sex Inscription on the Canadian Passport - Egale Position Paper

Egale Canada, Canada's national LGBT human rights organization, has undertaken an assessment of how best to accommodate and represent trans and gender diverse people in the Canadian passport, particularly in relation to the inscription of "sex". Specifically, the following questions have been examined:

1. What are some of the primary concerns facing trans and gender diverse people in relation to the inscription of sex on the Canadian passport?
2. What are the problems associated with (A) travelling with a passport with a sex marker that doesn't reflect one's appearance and (B) travelling with a passport with a sex marker that doesn't reflect one's anatomical sex?
3. Would it be helpful to have the option of a gender neutral sex marker in the passport? If so, should this be an option for any applicant, or should it be available only to certain types of applicants?

For the purposes of this opinion, Egale Canada has reviewed the relevant standards and orders, as well as consulted widely with trans and gender diverse communities across Canada.

Click here to download the complete position paper.

Egale Canada ©2011

Canada's LGBT human rights organization: advancing equality, diversity, education, and justice.