Model and actress Hunter Schafer revealed on Friday that her newly issued passport mistakenly lists her gender as male, despite her selecting female during the application process.
In an eight-minute video, the Euphoria star detailed her experience, explaining that while her driver’s license and passport had reflected her gender identity since her teenage years, she had never changed her birth certificate.
After recently losing her passport, the 26-year-old applied for a replacement. However, upon receiving it this week, she was shocked to find the gender marker listed incorrectly.
Schafer attributed the change to a new policy implemented under President Donald Trump, which mandates that gender markers on passports be determined by birth sex. She stated that the Bureau of Consular Affairs has halted applications for gender marker changes, as well as renewals or new passports that do not align with the sex assigned at birth.
“I remember on the first day of Trump’s presidency, he signed an executive order recognizing only two genders—male and female assigned at birth,” Schafer said.
The policy, signed into effect last month, reverses a rule introduced under former President Joe Biden, which allowed Americans to select “X” as a gender marker on passports starting in April 2022.
“A Letter and a Passport Can’t Change That”
Initially skeptical about the policy’s enforcement, Schafer admitted, “I’ll believe it when I see it.” But upon receiving her incorrect passport, she was met with disappointment.
Despite the setback, Schafer emphasized that her goal in speaking out was to raise awareness, 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.
