Hunter Schafer attends a red carpet event for the television series Euphoria in Los Angeles on April 20, 2020. (Mario Anzuoni/Reuters)
Hunter Schafer, the well-known transgender actress from HBO’s Euphoria, recently discovered a shocking mistake on her new U.S. passport. Despite selecting "female" on her application, the document was issued with an "M" (male) marker.
Schafer, 26, shared her frustration in a TikTok video, showing the incorrect designation on her passport. "I was shocked," she said. "I just didn’t think this would actually happen." She also criticized the current policies under former President Donald Trump regarding gender identification.
Concerns Over Travel and Identification
The actress, who plans to travel abroad next week, expressed concerns about potential issues at airport security. Her previous passport correctly listed her gender as female. Now, with the incorrect marker, she anticipates uncomfortable interactions with border officials.
Schafer explained that she lost her old passport while filming overseas and had to apply for a replacement. She submitted the required forms, selecting "female" as before. However, when she received her new document, it had changed to "male."
"I believe this is a direct result of the administration currently in power," she stated, referring to Trump’s policies on gender recognition.
Trump’s Executive Order on Gender Identification
Shortly after taking office, Trump signed an executive order recognizing only two sexes—male and female—based strictly on birth records. Under this policy, the U.S. State Department now issues passports reflecting a person's sex at birth, not their gender identity.
Previously, Americans could self-select their gender on passports and even opt for an "X" marker, a policy introduced by the Biden administration in 2022 for non-binary, intersex, and gender-nonconforming individuals. However, Trump’s order eliminated this flexibility.
According to the official statement from Trump’s executive order:
"Sex is not a synonym for and does not include the concept of gender identity."
The U.S. State Department website confirms that passports will now reflect only an "M" or "F" based on birth records, with no exceptions.
Impact on Transgender Individuals
Schafer shared that she had previously updated her gender markers on her driver's license and passport as a teenager but had never changed her birth certificate. She now fears that the incorrect passport will force her to repeatedly explain her identity while traveling.
"I'll have to out myself to border patrol agents much more often than I’d like or is really necessary," she said.
She emphasized that this issue is not just theoretical but a real and ongoing challenge for transgender individuals. "No matter how wealthy, white, or pretty someone is, no one is excluded from this."
Rising Concerns in the LGBTQ+ Community
The situation highlights growing concerns among transgender and non-binary individuals regarding their rights and recognition under changing government policies.
Schafer, who portrays Jules Vaughn, a transgender teen in Euphoria, has been vocal about LGBTQ+ rights. Her experience raises awareness of the struggles many face due to restrictive identification policies.
