Sat Jan 25 04:20:00 UTC 2025: **Trump Administration Halts Issuance of Passports with ‘X’ Gender Marker**
WASHINGTON D.C. – The U.S. State Department has suspended the issuance of passports with an “X” gender marker, following a new executive order from President Donald Trump. Secretary of State Marco Rubio instructed department staff to freeze all applications containing the non-binary designation, citing an executive order that defines sex as immutable and biological, excluding gender identity.
The order, titled “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” mandates that all federal identification documents, including passports and birth certificates, reflect only male or female sex designations. This effectively reverses a policy implemented in April 2022 which allowed individuals to select an “X” marker on their passports – a move previously lauded as a milestone by the then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
While passports already issued with the “X” marker will remain valid, future applications and renewals will not offer this option. The State Department will issue further guidance on existing passports with the “X” designation. This policy change affects both domestic and international applications. The decision has sparked controversy, reversing what many considered a significant step towards inclusivity for gender non-conforming Americans. Other agencies, such as U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, previously offered similar “X” gender options.
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