nTrump Administration Reverses gender Marker Policies on Passports and Bans Non-US flags in Consular Services
In a sweeping move on the first day of his term, president Donald Trump signed an executive order that has led to significant changes in federal policies regarding gender identity and diversity initiatives. The US Department of State has frozen all applications for passports with gender markers and halted changes to sexual identity in existing passports, marking a stark reversal from previous administrations.
According to an internal telegram cited by The Guardian, Secretary of State Marco Rubio instructed State Department staff to enforce strict new guidelines for official documentation. “The United States policy is that the gender of the individual is not changing,” the email reads. The directive emphasizes that “Paul and not gender” will be used in official documents, including passports and consular reports for birth abroad.
State Department employees were ordered to “terminate any submission requiring a gender marker” and “suspend any application when the applicant wants to change his or her sexual marker.” This policy applies to both current and future passport applications, effectively rolling back efforts to recognize non-binary and transgender identities in federal documentation.
Along with changes in passport policies, the Trump administration has banned consular services from displaying any flags othre than the United States flag. This decision, outlined in a document titled ”One Banner,” appears to target instances during the Biden administration when LGBTI flags and Black Lives Matter banners were displayed at embassies abroad.
“By entering into force instantly, only the banner of the united States is allowed to appear in facilities of the united States, both in the country and abroad, and to be included in the content of the US government,” the note stated. The document emphasized that “the flag of the United States of America united all Americans under the worldwide principles of justice, freedom and democracy.”
The only exceptions to this policy are the flag of prisoners of war/missing and the hostage flag, which remain authorized for display.
These changes follow a series of executive orders signed by Trump on his first day in office, which called for the cessation of all DEI programs (diversity, equity, and inclusion) and reinforced the administration’s stance on binary gender definitions. The orders have been widely criticized as attacks against the legal recognition of non-binary rights and efforts to promote diversity within federal institutions.
Key Changes at a Glance
| Policy Area | details |
|——————————-|—————————————————————————–|
| Passport Gender Markers | Applications for gender markers and changes in sexual identity are frozen. |
| consular Flag Display | Only the US flag is allowed; exceptions include POW/MIA and hostage flags. |
| DEI Programs | All diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives are halted. |
The Trump administration’s actions have sparked immediate backlash from advocacy groups, who argue that these policies undermine the rights of transgender and non-binary individuals. as the new guidelines take effect, the debate over gender identity and diversity in federal institutions is expected to intensify.
