Summary
A new rule in the United States requires passport holders to list their biological sex as recorded at birth. The Supreme Court allowed this policy from President Trump's administration to proceed, impacting new passport applications but not existing ones. The rule eliminates the option for a gender marker other than 'M' (male) or 'F' (female).
Key Facts
- The new passport rule mandates listing the sex assigned at birth on U.S. passports.
- The Supreme Court approved this rule in November 2025.
- The nonbinary 'X' gender marker option is no longer available for new passports.
- This policy is part of an executive order from January 2025 focused on recognizing only two sexes.
- Existing passports with 'X' markers remain valid until they expire.
- The State Department will no longer accept requests for gender marker changes beyond the initial birth assignment.
- Passport applications requesting gender markers not aligned with the birth certificate may face delays or denials.
- Around 2.8 million people in the U.S. identify as transgender, according to UCLA’s Williams Institute.
