US Ends 'X' Gender Marker on Passports Following Trump Executive Order

The State Department halts processing of gender-neutral passport applications, citing a policy shift to recognize only male and female sexes.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order mandating federal documents recognize only two sexes, male and female, based on biological classification.
The State Department, led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, has suspended issuing passports with an 'X' gender marker and processing related applications.
Passports with an 'X' marker that were previously issued remain valid, but renewals must align with the new policy.
The executive order reverses policies introduced during the Biden administration that allowed nonbinary, intersex, and gender-nonconforming individuals to select 'X' on passports.
Advocacy groups, including the ACLU and Lambda Legal, are preparing legal challenges, arguing the policy change undermines the rights of transgender and nonbinary individuals.