Dana Zzyym fought to get the first nonbinary passport. Now Trump has taken them away

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. On January 20, Trump signed a directive ordering the federal government to only recognize two immutable sexes, male and female, and to ignore what it called “an ever-shifting concept of self-assessed gender identity.” Taken together, Trump’s stance rolled back government recognition, medical spending, and legal protections for transgender, nonbinary, and intersex people, in settings ranging from federal prisons to the passport office. open image in gallery Dana Zzyym fought for years to get the federal government to offer ‘X’ passports, an option that’s now been ended by the Trump administration Under the order, the State Department is no longer issuing new “X” passports and has suspended processing for those seeking to change the gender marker on their travel documents. “That goes against a whole host of constitutional principles I can think of.” open image in gallery Dana Zzyym indicates the 'X' marker on their passport, a gender-neutral marker federal courts ruled would allow people to have more accurate legal documentation While the Trump order is creating uncertainty for all those with “X” passports, a sudden change in course isn’t exactly a surprise for people like Zzyym. The Trump administration may be seeking to roll protections back, but the efforts of people like Zzyym mean there’s now a federal court record recognizing that intersex can’t be ignored within the law.