> This is the demarcation problem rearing its ugly head again.... > If you decide that all people are either male or female, you are going to end up arguing ab

> This is the demarcation problem rearing its ugly head again.... > If you decide that all people are either male or female, you are going to end up arguing about where to draw the line. This is not particle physics, gender does not take “integer values” like the spin of a boson. So we add “X” to the passport to acknowledge the fact that, as much as some people may wish for gender to be a simple binary, reality sometimes defies simple categorization. But "X" doesn't really solve that problem, especially because this is an area where some people want near-infinite gradations, and because there can be differing opinions about how "X" should be used. The demarcation problem is unavoidable. The real criteria here should be practicality and the suitability of the passport for its intended purpose. I can see "X" as solving some clear practical problems, but on the other hand, using self-identification for any field including sex creates them [1]. [1] And I can see arguments for self identification for almost all passport fields. Name? I might feel more affinity to a non-official name, but lack the resources to change it (or change it as frequently as I would like, or have as many as I'd like). Birth date? Maybe I don't identify more strongly with the Islamic, Chinese, or Julian calendar than the Gregorian one; and want my birth date in my calendar of choice. Place of birth? I may have grown up elsewhere or "adopted" another place, and want that listed because that better reflects my identity.