America Freezes 'X' Gender Marker Passport Applications After Trump Executive Order

Washington: After President Donald Trump 's recent executive order, passport applications with "X" gender markers and changes to existing passports have been halted, as the US recognizes only male and female genders.

The US State Department swiftly implemented the move, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio issuing a directive to staff on Thursday following the executive order, according to reports.

The core of the issue lies in the definition of sex and gender. Rubio's email states, "The policy of the United States is that an individual's sex is not changeable." This position is backed by Trump's executive order, which asserts that the US recognizes only two sexes: male and female, calling them an "immutable biological reality."

His directive also said that "sex, and not gender, shall be used" in documents such as passports and consular reports of birth abroad documents.

The policy’s implications are broad, impacting both current and future passport applications. State Department staff have been directed to "suspend any application requesting an X sex marker" and to "suspend any application where the applicant is seeking to change their sex marker."

This has sparked concerns about the validity of existing passports with the "X" identification. However, the White House has clarified that these passports will remain valid, with problems only arising during renewals.

The State Department began issuing passports with the non-binary third gender identification "X" in April 2022, marking a step towards recognizing diverse gender identities.

However, the new executive order titled "Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government" has faced criticism for its restrictive stance on gender identity. The order mandates that government-issued identification documents, including passports, visas, and entry cards, reflect an individual's "immutable biological classification as either male or female."

With this executive order in place, the processing of passport applications with the "X" gender marker has been halted, reversing the previous policy aimed at recognizing non-binary identities.

As the situation develop, it remains uncertain how many passports currently include the "X" marker. Still, this policy shift is likely to have a significant impact, especially on individuals with non-binary gender identities and the wider LGBTQ+ community.