Trans, Nonbinary People Are Fighting New Passport Policy

Meanwhile, Trump administration continues to target LGBTQIA+ community
Posted Mar 25, 2025 3:30 AM CDT
Trans, Nonbinary People Are Fighting Trump Passport Policy
FILE - The seal of the State Department is seen at the Washington Passport Agency, July 12, 2016, in Washington.   (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

A group of transgender and nonbinary individuals is suing the Trump administration over its passport policy, which bans changing gender markers on passports and bans the use of the "X" gender marker. The policy came about after President Trump issued an executive order on the first day of his second presidential term declaring that the country will only recognize two sexes, male and female, and further declares that those are "not changeable." The American Civil Liberties Union is representing the plaintiffs in the suit filed in Boston, the AP reports.

"We all have a right to accurate identity documents, and this policy invites harassment, discrimination, and violence against transgender Americans who can no longer obtain or renew a passport that matches who they are," says an ACLU lawyer. The organization says in its lawsuit that having "incorrect sex designations on their passports" could put the plaintiffs in danger.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration's actions against the LGBTQIA+ community continued last week, when at least 68 grants focused on studying the health of that community were terminated by the federal government, CNN reports. Some of the research funded by the now-canceled grants included research on HIV prevention, youth suicide, and cancer. "It's a loss of a whole generation of science," says one researcher. (This content was created with the help of AI. Read our AI policy.)

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