- Transgender actress and model Hunter Schafer revealed that her newly issued U.S. passport lists her gender as male. She attributes the change to a recent executive order signed by President Donald Trump.
- The order mandates the U.S. government to recognize only two sexes, male and female, based on an individual’s gender assigned at birth.
- Schafer expressed concern about the policy’s impact on international travel for transgender individuals, emphasizing that it doesn’t change her identity or sense of self.
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Transgender actress and model Hunter Schafer says her newly issued U.S. passport lists her gender as male. She attributes the change to a recent executive order signed by President Donald Trump.
Schafer, known for her role on HBO’s “Euphoria,” shared her experience in a TikTok video. She applied for a replacement passport after her original was stolen and was surprised to see the gender marker had been changed.
“I filled out everything just like I normally would. I put female. And when it was picked up today, and I opened it up, they had changed the marker to male,” Schafer said in the video.
Executive order limits gender options
Schafer says the change stems from a recent executive order signed by Trump on his first day back in office. The order mandates that the U.S. government recognize only two sexes, male and female, based on an individual’s gender assigned at birth.
“The Bureau of Consular Affairs has frozen passport applications requesting a gender marker change or renewals or new applications with a gender marker differing from an applicant’s gender assigned at birth,” Schafer said in her TikTok post.
Changes to passport gender options
Previously, Americans could self-select their gender when applying for a passport. They could also choose “X,” a designation introduced by the Biden administration for intersex, nonbinary and gender-nonconforming individuals.
The recent order removes those options, affecting individuals who do not identify with the gender assigned to them at birth.
Schafer emphasized that she’s not trying to create fear or drama. She shared her experience to highlight how the policy affects individuals like her.
She expressed concern that having an “M” on her passport could complicate international travel. She may need to disclose her transgender identity to border agents when going through customs.
“A letter on a passport can’t change that,” Schafer said. “And f–k this administration. I don’t really have an answer on what to do about this, but I feel it was important to share.”
Despite the challenges, Schafer says the marker doesn’t change her identity or sense of self.
