U.S. passport offices in Minnesota have stopped allowing gender identifiers to be changed on federal travel documents following President Trump’s executive order rolling back transgender rights. A transgender man from South St. Paul shared his experience of being denied a gender marker change on his passport at the Minneapolis Passport Agency. The State Department confirmed that applications for gender marker changes are currently suspended.
Trump’s executive order, which took effect on Jan. 22, mandates that only genders assigned at birth will be listed on passports, visas, and global entry cards. This has led to outrage from LGBTQ organizations who fear for the safety of transgender individuals, particularly in federal prisons.
Previously, Americans could request gender marker changes on their passports and in 2022, an “X” marker option was to be introduced for those who do not identify as male or female. However, the State Department has confirmed that the “X” markers will no longer be offered for federal identification.
In Minnesota, residents can still apply for a driver’s license with an “X” marker or switch between male and female markers. However, for federal identification like passports, these options will not be available. The South St. Paul man was advised not to mail in his application for a gender marker change as there is a risk of paperwork being shredded without any information returned.
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