The State Department has recently announced a change in its passport application processing, stating that it will no longer accept applications seeking the gender marker of 'X.' Instead, the department will only process and issue passports for individuals identifying as male or female. This decision comes in alignment with an executive order signed by President Donald Trump, which emphasizes the recognition of two sexes, male and female, as unchangeable.
According to a department spokesperson, the issuance of U.S. passports will now reflect the individual's biological sex as defined in the Executive Order. As a result of this policy shift, the State Department has suspended processing applications with the X marker and ceased issuing passports with this marker altogether. The spokesperson also mentioned that guidance regarding previously issued X sex marker passports will be provided in the future.
This move marks a reversal of changes implemented under the Biden administration, which aimed to accommodate non-binary, intersex, and gender non-conforming individuals. Prior to this policy change, Americans were able to select X as their gender marker on passport applications starting in April 2022.
