The gender-neutral title Mx will be added to TV Licensing’s application form following pressure from LGBTQ+ campaign Include Mx.
To apply for a TV licence, applicants are required to provide a title. Currently, the drop down menu features a list of 12 titles including Lord, Lady, Professor, Reverend, Sir, and None, but not Mx, which is a gender-neutral title popular with non-binary people. According to the 2021 Census, 30,000 non-binary people live in England and Wales.
It is only possible as a TV licence holder to have Mx as a title after submitting a TV licence application. Tom Pashby, founder of Include Mx, submitted a complaint to TV Licensing asking for Mx to be added to the form and the organisation apologised and said it planned to start a review.
Include Mx then submitted a request to the BBC, which is responsible for the TV Licensing service, under the Freedom of Information Act.
BBC said TV Licensing plans to add Mx by 2025 or 2026.
Tom Pashby said: “It is welcome news that TV Licensing plans to add Mx to its form, but the fact that BBC is content to wait until 2026 to add the title is deeply disappointing.
“That effectively says it is happy to make non-binary people feel like we are being completely ignored and effectively presenting an obstacle to our ability to watch live TV.
“Non-binary people like me are immensely frustrated about being othered by the companies and organisations we pay money to for services. We are protected from discrimination by law.”
TV Licensing also said it would be adding “an update to our website FAQs so that customers are directed as to what they can do if they wish to use a title other than those available from the drop down menus.”
Tom Pashby added: “This small administrative change would make a big difference to non-binary people like me. It shows that organisations respect us as their clients, customers and service users.”
Credit: Mx design by Jade Forbes / @nonbinary_baps on Instagram