Transgender Americans aim to block Trump’s passport policy change

▶ Follow live updates on President Donald Trump and his administration BOSTON — When Ash Lazarus Orr went to renew his passport in early January, the transgender organizer figured it would be relatively routine. The delay has prevented him from traveling overseas to receive gender-affirming care this month in Ireland since he refuses to get a passport that lists an “inaccurate sex designation.” Orr blames the delay on President Donald Trump, who on the day he took office issued an executive order banning the use of the “X” marker as well as the changing of gender markers. Government: President has right to change passport rules In response to the lawsuit, the Trump administration has argued the passport policy change “does not violate the equal protection guarantees of the Constitution.” They also contend that the president has broad discretion in setting passport policy and that plaintiffs would not be harmed by the policy, since they are still free to travel abroad. “Do you dispute the recent executive orders take away rights or take away things that transgender people had?” Kobick asked Benjamin Takemoto, the Justice Department lawyer who denied the passport policy was anti-trans, in part because it doesn’t mention transgender people. Transgender rights threatened by Trump orders After the Trump executive order, the State Department quickly stopped issuing travel documents with the “X” gender marker preferred by many nonbinary people, who don’t identify as strictly male or female.