Model and actress Hunter Schafer, a transgender figure in Hollywood, revealed on Friday that her newly issued passport “incorrectly lists her gender as male,” despite her having selected female during the application process.
“I’m sure most of us remember on, I think, the first day of Trump’s presidency, he signed an executive order to declare only two genders recognised by the state, male and female assigned at birth,” the American actress said in the video.
Schafer, who gained fame for her role in HBO’s “Euphoria,” shared her experience in an eight-minute video. She explained that while her driver’s licence and passport were updated to reflect her gender identity during her teenage years, she never altered her birth certificate.
After losing her passport recently, the 26-year-old underwent the process of obtaining a replacement. However, upon receiving her new passport this week, she discovered that the gender marker was “inaccurately” listed.
She stated that the Bureau of Consular Affairs has halted applications for gender marker changes, as well as renewals or new applications that do not align with the gender assigned at birth.
The change follows an executive order signed by President Trump last month, which mandates that gender markers on newly issued passports will be determined by birth sex, recognising only “two sexes, male and female.”
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Schafer shared her initial skepticism about the order, remarking, “I’ll believe it when I see it,” and noted her disappointment upon discovering the incorrect gender marker on her new passport.
Under former President Joe Biden, Americans had the option to select “X” as a gender marker on their passports starting in April 2022.
In her video, Schafer emphasised that her intention was to raise awareness about these issues, not to incite fear or seek sympathy. “Trans people are beautiful. We are never going to stop existing. I’m never gonna stop being trans. A letter and a passport can’t change that,” she said.
