Hunter Schafer Criticizes Trump's Passport Gender Policy Shift

Hunter Schafer's Unexpected Passport Update

Hunter Schafer, the talented trans actor prominently known from the hit series Euphoria, has recently taken a stance against a new executive order from President Donald Trump that has impacted her US passport. She shared the unexpected change in her passport’s gender marker from female, which she selected, to male via a TikTok video that has gone viral. The change resulted from a January 20, 2025 executive order obligating federal documents, including passports, to display gender markers based exclusively on biological sex at birth.

Schafer’s passport issue has raised significant concerns regarding the broader impact of the policy, particularly for the transgender community. With the Trump administration’s directive, the State Department confirmed its stance of strictly issuing passports with gender identifiers that correspond to the biological sex recorded at birth. This policy choice has sparked widespread debate about gender identity and its recognition in government documentation.

Impact on Transgender Individuals

According to Schafer, this situation has forced her into a position where she needs to frequently disclose her transgender status to authorities such as border patrol during international travel, which can be both daunting and invasive. She highlighted the challenges this policy imposes by bringing to light a personal example - her birth certificate had not been amended, which seemed to be the reason officials changed her passport gender marker, possibly through cross-verifying her original documents.

The situation reflects a longstanding fight for transgender rights, reminiscent of Schafer’s previous activism, notably against North Carolina’s bathroom bill. By speaking out, Schafer has underscored how these bureaucratic amendments do not reflect or alter her identity. The policy challenges faced by individuals like Schafer push them into a spotlight of vulnerability, adding layers of complexity to their everyday interactions.

Despite this hindrance, Schafer remains resolute in her message that trans people’s identities and existence go beyond what is asserted on a piece of paper. Her declaration, “Trans people are beautiful. We are never going to stop existing,” reverberates with resilience in the face of systemic obstacles. Schafer’s voice contributes to the ongoing discourse on transgender rights and the need for inclusive policies that respect and affirm trans identities.