Cal Horton (they/them)
@fiercemum.bsky.social
Non-binary researcher supporting trans kids and challenging cis-supremacy
Yeah this was the pre-Ashley approach to changing birth certificates.
Wonder when GP letters for changing passport sex markers became a thing. Presumably only after 1988. Presumably Ewan's passport did not state his sex.
Wonder when GP letters for changing passport sex markers became a thing. Presumably only after 1988. Presumably Ewan's passport did not state his sex.
November 8, 2025 at 9:45 PM
Yeah this was the pre-Ashley approach to changing birth certificates.
Wonder when GP letters for changing passport sex markers became a thing. Presumably only after 1988. Presumably Ewan's passport did not state his sex.
Wonder when GP letters for changing passport sex markers became a thing. Presumably only after 1988. Presumably Ewan's passport did not state his sex.
Wonder how trans people handled the introduction of passport sex markers in 1988? Presume passports aligned with birth certificates in 1988?
Wonder when GPs started writing letters to approve the revision of a passport sex marker? Were trans people able to get a correct sex marker in 1988?
Wonder when GPs started writing letters to approve the revision of a passport sex marker? Were trans people able to get a correct sex marker in 1988?
November 8, 2025 at 9:25 PM
Wonder how trans people handled the introduction of passport sex markers in 1988? Presume passports aligned with birth certificates in 1988?
Wonder when GPs started writing letters to approve the revision of a passport sex marker? Were trans people able to get a correct sex marker in 1988?
Wonder when GPs started writing letters to approve the revision of a passport sex marker? Were trans people able to get a correct sex marker in 1988?
If sex markers only were added to UK passports in 1988, that also means that medical doctors having the power and authority to approve the correction of a passport sex marker is also less than 40 years old. This specific areas of over-reach of medical authority is pretty new.
November 8, 2025 at 9:23 PM
If sex markers only were added to UK passports in 1988, that also means that medical doctors having the power and authority to approve the correction of a passport sex marker is also less than 40 years old. This specific areas of over-reach of medical authority is pretty new.
Linking in the rest of my thread here as the link got broken bsky.app/profile/fier...
Nose. Right. Of course nose descriptions were on 1920s passports.
November 8, 2025 at 9:06 PM
Linking in the rest of my thread here as the link got broken bsky.app/profile/fier...
Some of the discourse around this topic, eg recent Gender Critical efforts to try to prevent trans kids from updating their sex marker in their passports, make it seem as though these gender markers have been around for centuries.
Yet more reason to get rid of them & focus on becoming ungovernable
Yet more reason to get rid of them & focus on becoming ungovernable
November 8, 2025 at 9:03 PM
Some of the discourse around this topic, eg recent Gender Critical efforts to try to prevent trans kids from updating their sex marker in their passports, make it seem as though these gender markers have been around for centuries.
Yet more reason to get rid of them & focus on becoming ungovernable
Yet more reason to get rid of them & focus on becoming ungovernable
State power has always tried to govern us through whatever means available.
Interesting that the focus on governing us through sex marker in passports is so very recent.
Interesting that the focus on governing us through sex marker in passports is so very recent.
November 8, 2025 at 9:01 PM
State power has always tried to govern us through whatever means available.
Interesting that the focus on governing us through sex marker in passports is so very recent.
Interesting that the focus on governing us through sex marker in passports is so very recent.
And as per the initial post that prompted this quick deepish dive, sex makers on US passports only came in 1976 from a panic that "unisex hairstyles and attire" were leading to a "fear that gender was becoming ungovernable".
November 8, 2025 at 9:00 PM
And as per the initial post that prompted this quick deepish dive, sex makers on US passports only came in 1976 from a panic that "unisex hairstyles and attire" were leading to a "fear that gender was becoming ungovernable".
This is not proper research - I have been doing some quick internet searching. This information may not be correct!
But it appears to be the case that sex markers on UK passports are younger than I am.
This isn't some ancient part of history, but something that has happened in my lifetime.
But it appears to be the case that sex markers on UK passports are younger than I am.
This isn't some ancient part of history, but something that has happened in my lifetime.
November 8, 2025 at 8:59 PM
This is not proper research - I have been doing some quick internet searching. This information may not be correct!
But it appears to be the case that sex markers on UK passports are younger than I am.
This isn't some ancient part of history, but something that has happened in my lifetime.
But it appears to be the case that sex markers on UK passports are younger than I am.
This isn't some ancient part of history, but something that has happened in my lifetime.
So I think sex markers were only added to UK passports in 1988 in order to align with a European Community standard.
At some point this rule became a globally mandated standard through the passport rules of the International Civil Air Authority.
At some point this rule became a globally mandated standard through the passport rules of the International Civil Air Authority.
November 8, 2025 at 8:56 PM
So I think sex markers were only added to UK passports in 1988 in order to align with a European Community standard.
At some point this rule became a globally mandated standard through the passport rules of the International Civil Air Authority.
At some point this rule became a globally mandated standard through the passport rules of the International Civil Air Authority.
This Belgium passport from 1970 didn't explicitly list sex www.passport-collection.com/product-page...
Belgium 1970 passport with Portuguese visas for Angola | Passport Collection
The provided pictures should be considered as part of the item description.
www.passport-collection.com
November 8, 2025 at 8:47 PM
This Belgium passport from 1970 didn't explicitly list sex www.passport-collection.com/product-page...
Can someone tell Reform that passport sex markers are an EU imposition and they should pledge to get rid of them?
So where did the sex/marker come from in that original 1985 European Community version. Anyone from the continent able to take this story forward from mainland Europe?
So where did the sex/marker come from in that original 1985 European Community version. Anyone from the continent able to take this story forward from mainland Europe?
November 8, 2025 at 8:36 PM
Can someone tell Reform that passport sex markers are an EU imposition and they should pledge to get rid of them?
So where did the sex/marker come from in that original 1985 European Community version. Anyone from the continent able to take this story forward from mainland Europe?
So where did the sex/marker come from in that original 1985 European Community version. Anyone from the continent able to take this story forward from mainland Europe?
The first European passport, in a format then copied by the UK, was issued in 1985. Here's a Dutch version. It has a gender (not sex?) marker. Why is it listed as M/M rather than just M?
www.reddit.com/r/PassportPo...
www.reddit.com/r/PassportPo...
FIRST EUROPEAN VERSION DUTCH PASSPORT 1985
www.reddit.com
November 8, 2025 at 8:34 PM
The first European passport, in a format then copied by the UK, was issued in 1985. Here's a Dutch version. It has a gender (not sex?) marker. Why is it listed as M/M rather than just M?
www.reddit.com/r/PassportPo...
www.reddit.com/r/PassportPo...
Seems the UK was back then actively keen to align with a European Community
hansard.parliament.uk/commons/1984...
hansard.parliament.uk/commons/1984...
European Community (Passport) - Hansard - UK Parliament
Hansard record of the item : 'European Community (Passport)' on Thursday 14 June 1984.
hansard.parliament.uk
November 8, 2025 at 8:31 PM
Seems the UK was back then actively keen to align with a European Community
hansard.parliament.uk/commons/1984...
hansard.parliament.uk/commons/1984...
Was this brought in as part of the standardisation of passports for the European Community?
November 8, 2025 at 8:23 PM
Was this brought in as part of the standardisation of passports for the European Community?
According to this graphic, the UK was very late compared to our European neighbours in having discriminatory passport rules for women (still needing husband's permission to get a passport 1981).
ourworldindata.org/grapher/wome...
ourworldindata.org/grapher/wome...
Women can apply for a passport in the same way as men
An interactive visualization from Our World in Data.
ourworldindata.org
November 8, 2025 at 8:01 PM
According to this graphic, the UK was very late compared to our European neighbours in having discriminatory passport rules for women (still needing husband's permission to get a passport 1981).
ourworldindata.org/grapher/wome...
ourworldindata.org/grapher/wome...
Apparently wives only stopped being an added feature on a man's passport in 1988!
In the 1970s parliament was discussing whether it was ok for married women to be unable to travel on joint passports without their husband present api.parliament.uk/historic-han...
In the 1970s parliament was discussing whether it was ok for married women to be unable to travel on joint passports without their husband present api.parliament.uk/historic-han...
Joint Passports (Wives) (Hansard, 17 May 1971)
Joint Passports (Wives) (Hansard, 17 May 1971)
api.parliament.uk
November 8, 2025 at 7:54 PM
Apparently wives only stopped being an added feature on a man's passport in 1988!
In the 1970s parliament was discussing whether it was ok for married women to be unable to travel on joint passports without their husband present api.parliament.uk/historic-han...
In the 1970s parliament was discussing whether it was ok for married women to be unable to travel on joint passports without their husband present api.parliament.uk/historic-han...
I'm particularly interested in UK passports as the date of adding sex markers to US passports was in the original thread.
Here in 1972's Elton John passport there is no specific sex marker for adults but children on the passport need a sex marker stating www.reddit.com/r/EltonJohn/...
Here in 1972's Elton John passport there is no specific sex marker for adults but children on the passport need a sex marker stating www.reddit.com/r/EltonJohn/...
Redirect Notice
www.google.com
November 8, 2025 at 7:50 PM
I'm particularly interested in UK passports as the date of adding sex markers to US passports was in the original thread.
Here in 1972's Elton John passport there is no specific sex marker for adults but children on the passport need a sex marker stating www.reddit.com/r/EltonJohn/...
Here in 1972's Elton John passport there is no specific sex marker for adults but children on the passport need a sex marker stating www.reddit.com/r/EltonJohn/...
This one from 1960 again doesn't appear to state sex. It does however have an additional box for 'wife' so presumably men and women were given different documents at this time?
www.reddit.com/r/OldSchoolC...
www.reddit.com/r/OldSchoolC...
From the OldSchoolCool community on Reddit: My dad's UK passport from 1960
Explore this post and more from the OldSchoolCool community
www.reddit.com
November 8, 2025 at 7:44 PM
This one from 1960 again doesn't appear to state sex. It does however have an additional box for 'wife' so presumably men and women were given different documents at this time?
www.reddit.com/r/OldSchoolC...
www.reddit.com/r/OldSchoolC...