US stops issuing Gender-Neutral Passports after Trump’s rule

The United States has ceased issuing passports with a gender-neutral “X” option, the State Department said, following President Donald Trump’s order limiting government recognition of transgender identity.

The move rolls back the option first introduced under former president Joe Biden’s administration and leaves an unknown number of people awaiting further guidance on the fate of their pending applications and already issued passports.

Mr Trump, shortly after taking office on Jan 20, signed an executive order requiring federal agencies to only give the option of male or female, as part of an array of actions aimed at quickly reversing policies enacted by his predecessor.

“In line with that order, the Department’s issuance of US passports will reflect the individual’s biological sex as defined in the executive order,” a US State Department spokesperson said on Jan 24 night.

The spokesperson said the department “is no longer issuing US passports with X markers” and has “suspended processing of all applications seeking a different sex marker than that defined by the terms in the executive order.”

“Guidance regarding previously issued X sex marker passports is forthcoming,” the spokesperson added, saying updates will be posted on the department’s travel website.

The State Department issued its first passport with the X designation in October 2021 after a long legal battle waged by a person from Colorado who is intersex. It began regular processing of X passports in early 2022.

The department has not released figures for how many people have requested or been issued an “X” passport, but a study by the UCLA Law School’s Williams Institute estimated over 16,000 people would apply for one each year.

On the campaign trail, Mr Trump vilified transgender policies - particularly as they related to women’s sports and medical care for children - as part of a general broadside against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

He ordered on Jan 20 an immediate halt to federal DEI programmes, anti-discrimination policies and recognition of transgender identity, drawing outrage from rights groups and creating immense legal uncertainty.

The actions will almost certainly face legal challenges.

Many states allow drivers’ licences to be issued with a gender-neutral “X” option, while several countries have similar practices, including Australia, Canada and Germany. 

AFP