Transgender Americans challenge Trump’s passport policy changes
Transgender Americans are challenging a new passport policy introduced by former President Donald Trump. The policy requires passports to reflect the sex assigned at birth, which many transgender people find inaccurate. One of the plaintiffs, Ash Lazarus Orr, is currently facing issues with his passport renewal. He has been waiting for a new passport for over two months. Orr believes this delay is preventing him from traveling abroad for essential gender-affirming care. He refuses to accept a passport that lists an "inaccurate sex designation." Orr and other plaintiffs, including five transgender Americans and two nonbinary individuals, have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is representing them in federal court. The ACLU argues the policy is causing fear and anxiety for many transgender individuals, some of whom worry about discrimination or violence due to incorrect identification. In their court filing, the ACLU shared instances where people have had passports returned with incorrect gender designations. Many are afraid to submit passport applications because they fear their documents will be held up. For example, one individual is stuck in Canada, unable to leave for family events until their passport issue is resolved. The Trump administration has defended its policy, stating it does not violate constitutional protections. They claim the president has the authority to set passport rules and that the plaintiffs can still travel, despite experiencing complications related to their identification documents. Since the executive order, the State Department has halted the issuance of gender-neutral "X" passports and stopped allowing changes to gender markers. This has led to confusion and increased difficulties for many transgender and nonbinary people. The policy is part of a broader trend under Trump aimed at limiting the rights and recognition of transgender individuals, including proposed changes to military service and sports participation.