cross-posted from: https://beehaw.org/post/18144707
According to the Colorado Name Change Project, the US State Department has stopped processing of all gender marker correction applications. This is confirmed by Notus.org, which adds that the policy change affects passport renewals as well.
At this time, there are rumors that the Minnesota Passport Agency is confiscating documents when denying a gender marker change. These rumors are unconfirmed as of the time of this post, but the situation is still developing.
https://www.namechangeproject.org/gender-marker/
https://m.facebook.com/ColoradoNameChangeProject/
https://www.notus.org/whitehouse/trump-gender-sex-order-passports
The ACLU has a form open for any affected by this policy: https://www.aclu.org/transpassports2025
Update: Marco Rubio has confirmed that the state department has suspended all applications including a gender change or an X gender marker, including applications which were already in progress. Official word on the status of existing passports “will come via other channels.” https://theintercept.com/2025/01/23/marco-rubio-state-department-passports-gender-trans-nonbinary/
I’m not trans, but I would have no issue using a fake id to escape fascism. If they think it’s a valid name/document, all the better, as less risk. However, I sympathies that deadnaming is traumatic for many. It’s better to be safe, though.
Norah covered the concerns I had - basically clarifying that a passport in the deadname wouldn’t be a “fake” ID (it’s still legally valid), and of course escaping the country with a deadname on the passport is still preferable to not having a passport and thus not being able to escape.
Also as Norah covered, trans people should avoid taking risks or engaging in illegal activity so as to avoid jail at all costs. Obviously lack of rule of law and uneven enforcement (read: intentionally targeting and fabrication of evidence of crimes by the police) means we can’t always control that, but I wouldn’t recommend any trans person actually use a fake or forged passport because of the risks. It just seems more likely that they will correctly identify the passport is a forgery and that is a serious crime.
I assume people trying to escape without legal means usually turn to human traffickers, like fleeing refugees so often do. There was a 2021 documentary film that illuminates what that is like. (All the trigger warnings, I wouldn’t describe that film as psychologically safe.)
You do understand that trying to forge a passport is a pretty serious crime, yeah? Otherwise, what exactly are you trying to suggest?
I mean that a passport with incorrect information is fine as a means to escape. It would not be a forgery or illegal.
Oh, you’re saying incorrect as in not having a person’s chosen name, etc? Yes, absolutely the best path forward. But I do think most trans folks already know this.
Who cares?
Because it would give the people currently in charge a legitimate reason to arrest and jail trans people? Because it is exceedingly unlikely that you will be able to due to all of the security features of modern passports?
I dunno, maybe that’s just me?
It doesn’t really seem like they need a legitimate one tbh. And if a fake passport is your only chance of getting out, maybe you should take it.
It’s a fucked up situation all around.
Firstly, “fake” passports wasn’t actually what the other person was talking about.
Secondly, no, encouraging vulnerable people to commit potentially unnecessary crimes isn’t a good idea. It seems that most should still be able to get a passport in their details from birth. Whereas if they arrive in another country with a fake passport, they’ll be immediately deported back into danger.
Please don’t misconstrue my words. I literally said, if it is the only way. This will be my last reply on this comment thread.