In the UK, a new gender neutral option has been added to the titles available on drivers’ licences and other official documents.
As well as ‘Miss’, ‘Mrs’ and ‘Mr’, the title ‘Mx’ is now widely used by a number of British institutions including the Royal Mail, government departments and some universities.
The title provides an option for transgender, non-binary, genderqueer and agender individuals on official documentation as well as those who would prefer not to disclose their gender.
SJ Jacobs from the UK’s Nonbinary Inclusion Project told the Sunday Times that the use of Mx was “a big step forward”, and while one company has reportedly opted out of using the term over fears of mispronunciation, Jacobs said it’s quite simple. “Most people pronounce it as ‘Mux,'” Jacobs said.
In Australia, the term ‘Mx’ is rarely used, however those who identify as non-binary, genderqueer or agender people can apply to have an ‘X’ listed on their passport rather than an ‘M’ or ‘F’.
The term is also up for consideration to be included in the Oxford English Dictionary.
