Tuckahoe NY Pride

Dana Zzyym is an intersex activist and U.S. Navy veteran whose legal fight significantly advanced recognition of nonbinary sex markers on identity documents. Born with intersex traits, Zzyym experienced early medical intervention and later sought accurate documentation that did not force a “male” or “female” classification. Their lawsuit against the U.S. State Department challenged the denial of a passport unless they selected M or F, helping push public institutions to acknowledge sex diversity. Zzyym’s advocacy connects intersex visibility to human rights: bodily autonomy, truthful identification, and dignity in everyday travel, employment, and civic life. In October 2021, they became the first U.S. citizen to receive an official U.S. passport with an “X” sex/gender marker.

Quote: “Every day, I am forced to suffer the consequences of decisions made for me as a child. I shouldn’t have to suffer at the hands of my government – a government I proudly and willingly served – as well. It’s a painful hypocrisy that, simply because I refused to lie about my gender on a government document, the government would ignore who I am. I hope the State Department will do the right thing now.”