Advocates in the U.S. and around the world this week marked the annual Intersex Awareness Day. Intersex Awareness Day — which falls on Oct. 26 — provided the backdrop for the federal lawsuit against the State Department that Lambda Legal filed on behalf of an intersex person who was denied a passport because they do not identify as male or female.

The U.S. Agency for International Development on Oct. 19 hosted what a State Department spokesperson described to the Washington Blade as “the first-ever U.S. government interagency intersex forum” that the Council for Global Equality and Advocates for Informed Choice, a group that advocates on behalf of intersex children, organized.

“The United States government places great importance on the protection and promotion of the human rights of all people, including intersex individuals,” said the State Department spokesperson. “We are committed to raising awareness about the challenges faced by the intersex community.” The State Department earlier in the week declined to comment on Lambda Legal’s lawsuit against it. Read More via Washington Blade