Cheltenham campaigner loses court battle over 'gender neutral' passports

A campaigner from Cheltenham has lost a court challenge over 'gender-neutral' passports.

The Court of Appeal ruled against Christie Elan-Cane, who believes the UK’s passport application process, which requires individuals to indicate whether they are male or female, is “inherently discriminatory”.

But the court upheld a previous High Court ruling that the Government's refusal to issue non gender-specific passports was not unlawful.

The campaigner has been battling to achieve legal and social recognition for non-gendered identity. Credit: PA

Last year, Elan-Cane’s lawyers challenged the lawfulness of the policy in the High Court, arguing that it breaches human rights laws.

Elan-Cane, who identifies as 'per' and has fought for more than 25 years to achieve legal recognition for non-gendered identity, sees the issue of “X” (for unspecified) passports as a key focal point of the non-gendered campaign.