The US Department of State has begun freezing all passport applications that have “X” as a sex marker, or request a change in gender identity, following a new executive order, “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” signed by Pres. Trump.
Multiple news media cited an internal memo from Secretary of State Marco Rubio to his staff instructing them to immediately implement the new guidelines, which state that government-issued identification documents—including passports, visas and Global Entry cards—must use “an individual’s immutable biological classification as either male or female.” No allowances will be made for individuals who have had gender affirming surgery, since “the policy of the United States is that an individual’s sex is not changeable,” and “sex, and not gender, shall be used” in official documents.
The State Department in 2022 introduced an “X” marker for nonbinary, intersex, and gender-nonconforming people.
Passports with the “X” identification are still valid, though the Rubio memo notes that “guidance on existing passports containing an X sex marker will come via other channels,” and issues likely will arise when travelers try to renew them.
