Secretary of State Marco Rubio has ordered the State Department to freeze passport applications that include the gender marker “X,” according to internal communications reviewed by Tech World News. The decision comes in response to President Donald Trump’s executive order, which mandates that the U.S. government recognize only a person’s sex assigned at birth. The order also limits the definition of “male” or “female” to reproductive cells and threatens to withhold federal funding from programs that recognize transgender identities or “gender ideology.”
Background and Implementation
The option to select “X” on passport applications was introduced in 2022 under the Biden administration by then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The initiative, announced on Transgender Day of Visibility, aimed to accommodate intersex, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming individuals. Intersex individuals are those whose biological characteristics, such as chromosomes, hormones, or reproductive organs, do not fit typical definitions of male or female anatomy.
Despite the freeze on new applications, passports already issued with the “X” gender marker will remain valid under the new policy.
Confusion and Delays
As of Thursday, the online passport application system still allows applicants to select “X” as their gender or request a gender marker change, leading to confusion within the department’s processing operations. Individuals contacting the State Department’s National Passport Information Center are being advised to delay their applications until further guidance is issued, expected “in the coming days.” Those with existing applications are also being told to wait for additional instructions.
Advocacy and Legal Challenges
The executive order has sparked criticism from civil liberties groups, including Lambda Legal, an LGBTQ advocacy organization. The group is exploring legal options to challenge the order, arguing that identification documents should accurately reflect the identities of intersex and nonbinary individuals.
The State Department has not disclosed how many applicants have selected “X” since its introduction. However, research by UCLA’s Williams Institute estimated that approximately 16,700 people might apply for passports with the “X” identifier annually.
When asked about the freeze, the State Department declined to comment, stating that it “does not comment on leaked internal documents.”
This is a developing story, and further updates are expected as the situation unfolds.
