U.S. Halts Passport Applications With ‘X’ Gender Marker

The U.S. State Department has suspended processing passport applications that list “X” as the gender marker, following an executive order from President Donald Trump. The new policy mandates that government-issued identification documents, including passports, visas, and Global Entry cards, only recognize “male” and “female” as sex designations.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a directive last week halting all pending applications that requested the “X” gender option or sought to change their sex marker. The order follows Trump’s policy shift, which declares that the United States officially recognizes only two sexes.

A memo reviewed by NBC News reveals that Rubio instructed agencies to use “sex” rather than “gender” on official documents, reinforcing that an individual’s sex is not changeable. Additionally, the State Department confirmed that birth records for U.S. citizens born abroad will no longer include the “X” designation.

It remains unclear whether previously issued passports with the “X” gender marker will remain valid. A State Department spokesperson stated that further updates would be provided on the department’s travel website.

The “X” option has been available on U.S. passports for years, offering an alternative to the traditional male and female categories. In 2022, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) also introduced a non-binary gender option for its TSA PreCheck program. However, the TSA has since removed a webpage detailing this policy, though it still appears in Google search results.

Further details on enforcement and policy changes are expected soon.

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