Argentina rolls out new ID Cards

Argentina has become the first country in South America to introduce identification cards for people who are non-binary.

From July 21, people who do not identify as male or female can now put an “x” under gender in their national ID document and passports.

It has joined countries - including New Zealand, Canada and Australia - which have already implemented the change.

President Alberto Fernandez said: “There are other ways to love and be loved.

“There are other identities apart from the identity of a man or a woman and they should be respected and they have always existed, only that in other times they were hidden.”

The Argentine leader gave his passionate speech at the presentation of the new document when he declared there are “a thousand ways to love and be loved and be happy.”

Before the changes, Argentinians had the right to identify themselves as gender neutral under national law.

However, this was not reflected in national documents and passports where they had to select “male” or “female.”

At a ceremony in Buenos Aires, Mr Fernandez delivered the first three ID cards using the new “x” format.

He was joined by Argentina’s interior minister and minister of women, gender and diversity.

Argentina’s centre-left government has advocated social reforms - such as legalising abortion - last year.

Mr Fernandez has been an advocate of progressive social reforms since he was elected in 2019.

Abortion was legalised under his leadership last year and he has also publicly championed his son Estanislao, a design student and a well-known drag queen.

“The ideal will be when all of us are just who we are and no one cares about people’s gender,” Mr Fernandez added.

“This is a step we are taking and I hope one day we get to the point where IDs don’t say if someone is a man, woman or anything else.”

International Civil Aviation Organization accepts the use of the “x” and includes people who identify outside traditional gender definitions.