Trans Euphoria Star Exposes Passport Gender Marker Issues

In a candid TikTok video, Schafer shares her shock at being issued a U.S. passport that does not reflect her gender identity, highlighting broader implications of current policies.

Hunter Schafer, the transgender actress known for her role in HBO's teen drama Euphoria, has publicly revealed a troubling experience regarding her gender identification on her passport. In a TikTok video, she expressed shock upon discovering that her newly issued U.S. passport incorrectly identifies her as male, despite her having selected female when completing the application. "I just didn't think it was actually going to happen," the 26-year-old stated, emphasizing the 'M' marker on the document, which contrasted with her previous passport that had listed her as female.

The issue has sparked discourse around the ramifications of former President Donald Trump's policies on gender identification. On his first day in office, Trump enacted an executive order that officially recognized only two sexes, stating they cannot be altered. Currently, U.S. passports are issued with either male or female designations, determined by an individual’s sex at birth, thwarting the prior flexibility that allowed Americans to choose their gender and request an 'X' designation—an option that was supposed to accommodate non-binary and gender non-conforming individuals under the Biden administration.

Schafer had applied for her new passport after losing her previous one while filming abroad. Despite filling the forms out accurately, she picked up a replacement passport that listed her incorrectly. Anticipating travel complications due to this error, she voiced her concerns about potential issues she might face at the airport, linking the situation to the broader political climate and the administration currently in power.

Trump's executive order asserted that the biological sexes "are not changeable" and drew a clear distinction between sex and gender identity. After seeing her passport for the first time, Schafer said, “Today I saw it,” highlighting the seriousness of the situation. She stressed the importance of sharing her experience in order to raise awareness about the real implications of such policies, affecting individuals regardless of their socio-economic status.

While Schafer has been able to update her driver’s license and passport to reflect her true gender, she noted that her birth certificate remains unchanged. She anticipates having to frequently disclose her gender identity to border control personnel, an uncomfortable reality she feels is both unnecessary and intrusive.

Schafer's experience serves as a reminder of the ongoing challenges many transgender individuals face in navigating bureaucratic systems and reinforces the need for policy changes that better respect and recognize gender identity in all documentation.