Mon Feb 24 09:20:00 UTC 2025: ## Trans Actress Hunter Schafer Highlights Passport Gender Marker Issue at Spirit Awards

**SANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP)** — Actress Hunter Schafer, known for her role in “Euphoria,” used her appearance at the Film Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday to draw attention to a recent incident where her new passport was issued with a male gender marker, despite her being transgender.

Schafer, who was a presenter at the awards ceremony and a nominee for Best Lead Performance, revealed the issue in an 8.5-minute TikTok video on Friday. She explained that after her passport was stolen while filming in Spain, her application for a replacement in Los Angeles resulted in a document identifying her as male, even though she marked “female” on the application. This, she stated, is due to President Trump’s 2025 executive order, which mandates a strict male/female binary on federal documents. This order, she says, resulted in the State Department ceasing to issue passports with the “X” gender marker, an option available since 2021, and rejecting requests to change gender markers.

Speaking on the red carpet, Schafer emphasized the importance of acknowledging this ongoing issue, stating, “It’s important to just keep track of where things are in our country.” She clarified that while the passport issue doesn’t change her identity, it does create added difficulties, particularly as she has international travel planned next week. Schafer’s video concluded with a message of resilience: “Trans people are beautiful. We are never going to stop existing. I’m never going to stop being trans. A letter and a passport can’t change that.”

The State Department, while confirming its implementation of Trump’s executive order, declined to comment on specific cases due to privacy concerns.

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