Get Guardian on GoogleThe Canadian government issued a warning this week to citizens holding passports with the nonbinary “X” gender designation in their passports, saying they could face difficulties when trying to enter the United States.
“While the Government of Canada issues passports with a ‘X’ gender identifier, it cannot guarantee your entry or transit through other countries,” said the travel advisory issued by Global Affairs Canada.
“You might face entry restrictions in countries that do not recognize the ‘X’ gender identifier,” the warning, published Monday, continued.
US President Donald Trump has taken steps against trans and nonbinary people since returning to the White House in January, when he proclaimed during his inaugural address that there are only “two sexes, male and female.”
Through an executive order, the US State Department stopped issuing passports with the “X” gender marker, or for passport holders whose gender differs from their birth. A court injunction has stopped the policy from going into effect, and earlier this month a US appeals court denied the Trump administration’s attempt to restore it.
Between 2019 and 2024, Ottawa has issued roughly 3,400 passports to Canadians with the “X” gender identifier.
