UK activist loses latest court bid over gender-neutral passports

LONDON: A campaigner battling the British government for the right to get a gender-neutral passport lost a Court of Appeal challenge on Tuesday over the issue.

Christie Elan-Cane, who does not identify as either male or female, had asked the court in London to rule that Britain’s passport application process was "inherently discriminatory".

Individuals only have a choice of male or female on the application, rather than permitting them to mark down "X" for unspecified. Countries including Canada, Australia, Denmark, Germany, Malta, Nepal and Pakistan all now issue passports with options other than male and female.

Lawyers for Elan-Cane argued the British government stance breached legal guarantees to a private life and the right not to face gender or sex discrimination. But three senior British judges dismissed the appeal after hearing the case in December. Elan-Cane, who has fought for legal and social recognition for non-gendered identity for more than 25 years, called the decision "devastating".