Donald Trump signed over 200 executive orders shortly after returning to the White House, including one affecting passports. According to BBC News, these orders don’t need congressional approval. A 2021 survey found 1.2 million Americans identify as non-binary, and under the Biden Administration, they could mark ‘X’ as their gender on passports, with the first issued in October 2021, praised as a “momentous step” toward inclusivity.
However, Trump’s new executive order has halted such applications. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated in an email, “Sex, and not gender, shall be used” on official documents, freezing current and future X-marker requests. While existing X passports remain valid, renewal issues are expected.
Additionally, the order redefines gender as strictly male or female, affecting policies like transgender women being housed in female prisons. This change aligns with Trump’s order titled “Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth.”
