The Trump administration has relentlessly attacked transgender people’s basic freedoms. Now authorities are proposing changes to official rules that will deny accurate passports to trans, intersex, and non-binary people by requiring their gender to be recorded as the sex they were assigned at birth.
Banning accurate identifications and forcing trans, intersex and non-binary people to out themselves whenever they show an identification will push them out of public life and expose them to discrimination and violence.
The administration must reject this policy change and ensure transgender, intersex and non-binary people have equal rights and treatment under the law.
Here’s what you can do:
Write to the US Department of States urging the administration to:
- Reject the Proposed Rule Change
- Ensure all citizens can obtain identification that represents who they are, without being forced to use the sex assigned at birth.
- Maintain the policy that has allowed trans, intersex, and non-binary people to have accurate passports for over 30 years.
The U.S State Department has opened a public comment period on the proposed changes on passport applications. We have a chance to tell the government that these attacks will not be tolerated.
Leave your comments on to the US State Department website either here or here.
A history of attacks on trans rights
Since day one, the Trump administration has targeted transgender people with harmful policies, executive orders, and dehumanizing rhetoric. Now, they are trying to change State Department rules to deny accurate passports to trans, intersex, and non-binary people.
Previously, the State Department allowed individuals to obtain passports that matched their gender identity, including an “X” option for those who did not identify strictly as male or female. However, reports suggest that the agency has already begun suspending applications requesting gender marker changes.
Proposed changes that erase trans identities
The administration is now proposing three policies that would make it impossible for trans people to have passports reflecting their identity:
- New Passport Applications (DS-11): The term “gender” would be replaced with “sex,” strictly defined as assigned at birth. This would prevent trans people from obtaining a first-time passport that aligns with their identity.
- Passport Renewals (DS-82): The same change would apply to renewals, meaning trans people who already have a correct passport would not be able to renew it with the same marker.
- Corrections (DS-5504): Anyone needing to update their passport within a year of issuance would also be forced to use the new policy, erasing their correct gender marker.
The real-world harm of this policy
Everyone deserves identification that reflects who they are. Without accurate ID, trans and non-binary people could face serious barriers in daily life—opening a bank account, enrolling in school, checking into a hotel, or even traveling through an airport. Worse, being forced to carry incorrect identification could put them at risk of harassment, discrimination, and violence.
These attacks are part of a broader effort to erase transgender and non-binary people from public life. We must stop this harmful policy and protect the right to accurate identification for all.
Please take action as soon as possible until March 20, 2025. The UA will be duly updated should there be the need for further action.
