On Wednesday, at least some transgender people applying for passports in person at passport offices for urgent travel have received updated passports with correct gender markers.
From the article: "However, transgender applicants changing their passports will have data collected indicating their class status—data that could potentially be used to compile lists of transgender passport holders."
Am I berserk for keeping my eyes peeled for something much darker on the horizon for us? "transgender applicants...will have data collected" sits in my head alongside "Alligator Alcatraz" to scare the shit out of me. And it's not just this one pairing of data points that has me unnerved. Someone please tell me not to be worried, and why.
Put this alongside yesterday's news saying that people of poor "moral character" will be targeted for deportation. Think about the words used to justify the expulsion of transgender service members. They are dishonest, liars, untrustworthy. Brick by brick, the case against us is being built. Not a good time to renew or apply for a passport. But then again, most of us are going to show up on those lists because we will be somewhere in the medical data bases under the diagnosis gender dysphoria. It is going to be pretty easy to come up with that list.
You nailed it Linden. The fact that my 2015 was corrected "with proof" (M) under the old system and upon my "RENEWAL WITHOUT CHANGES" in January this year, the regime changed it back (to F) without communicating with me prior-- is proof that they long ago already had/have the goods on us all.
Not really. Why would anyone expect that large surveillance states in our world would somehow "lose" the trail of who a person (as taxpayer, subject, dissident etc) is? It's as old as time that people have played "dress up" to evade authorities, and that's what we get accused of, no? Playing dress up? Being a "fraud?" Instead of simply being BORN with a brain-body mismatch that has been found to be rooted in genetics and science for decades? A condition requiring care, treatment and maintenance like zillions of human congenital conditions? When we really start peeling the layers of this onion (lovingly I call it the "alphabet soup" that LGBTQIA+++ has become) and take it to its logical conclusion, all we're likely to find is that the 10% of diversity in the human population is all largely the result of that same thing. Just simply gestation and the stuff that goes on hormonally, chromosomally, genetically etc-- and we get diversity. Yup. All God's children just the same.
I should rephrase: to me it's chilling, or rather part of it is. I grew up with Kennedy Democrats, and therefore with a fundamental, even unconscious belief in government as a benign entity. I also grew up white, "male-looking," middle class, etc.--all those privileges. So I'm still getting used to the idea of a government that wants to use us and our data for malevolent purposes.
Yup, we're likely the same generation and disposition. I grew up in the 60's-70's with FDR-JFK Dem's, white, consistently "misgendered" as male (with the string of female paramours from elementary school on up, was a star Little League pitcher in boy's baseball) middle class -- all those privileges including building and operating two successful businesses since finishing my degree in the 80's. Yet, call it my learned skepticism (learned from all those harassing little boys on the team who became teens and were convinced that I WAS a boy and were determined to find proof) I've never had any illusions about the more recent phenomenon of the past 30 years and especially 5-10-- that heteronormative society was any more "totally accepting" of sex/gender/orientation minorities than they have proven themselves of squashing racism. I haven't reached totally jaded status yet, but I'll admit getting that f'd passport on February 18th has been challenging on that front. A call from the issuing office yesterday is helping, but ....until I have that correct document in my hand again (all this was was a 10 year RENEWAL, not attempt to change anything. THEY made the non-consensual gender marker change reverting back to pre-2015 information), I'm reserving judgement. PS: that FDR-JFK Dem who was my father ultimately became a Reaganite and yes, Trumper, taking my only brother, formerly the most a-political person on the planet, with him. The loss of our mother, Dad's moderating force, 28 years ago just as Fox News was winding up, was no help.
My passport application was kicked back to me with a letter saying they require further evidence of gender assigned at birth. As I had already had my birth certificate amended, showing correct name and correct gender marker, I responded to the request by asking what further evidence would be acceptable. Well, I actually said “I provided you with my original birth certificate - what further evidence would you like? Perhaps a letter from my Mom?” Surprisingly enough, they responded by issuing the passport with correct info. Not sure how successful responding with snarky comments and overt sarcasm will be for anyone else.
Lucky you. My RENEWAL (no changes) had them pulling information from who knows when/where, and doing a non-consensual change, back to original documents. So in essence, not a renewal at all. I'm awaiting next steps on try #3 with the issuing office I went to in person on 6/20.
I saw that you mentioned that they gov't will be keeping tabs on trans individuals who apply for passports and store that data, but quite frankly, they don't even need that data as they have the data already from anyone who changed their SS card. Just an FYI. They still send draft notices to trans females when they turn 18, even if they changed their SS and ALL documentation over 10 years earlier.
My thoughts as well. I do think they could consider attestation a slightly stronger form of evidence which could potentially allow a court to compel trans people to return documents if this is overturned or be treated as fraud if used (I'm guessing, not an expert). Depending on what you feel your risks are, it seems fair exercise our class membership but take the change very seriously.
I don't think it's accurate to call them toothless. The harm is very real in many cases already. You are correct in that many of their threats are toothless but I'd not scoff at the seriousness of their intentions. Specifically, complying in advance with policy that is not law is a terrible idea. Trump can direct federal employees but not civilians and even the prior has rules (which occasionally get upheld even now).
I guess you’re correct. The word toothless was not the best. I’m not scared of them though. I’m scared for other transgender people. I served over 23 years in the army and I was special forces. A green beret. I’ve had friends be horribly maimed or killed in service to this country. I’ve deployed all over. Afghanistan, Bosnia Africa, you name it. I am well prepared to defend myself against any 1099 Paul Bart mall cop ICE contractors that come knocking on my door. I refuse to live my life in
fear. I’ve survived too much already to be scared of these heartless cowards.
Processing the passports of transgender people with their correct gender markers costs the Trump administration nothing and in fact allows them to keep up to date records of the trans population and corelate our records across all federal databases in a post-DOGE data security environment. Every point of contact we have with the federal government can be cross referenced and flagged as "trans" at any time, for any purpose.
If anyone has ever thought that somehow the government "loses" old information when new is provided is a total fool anyway? How do people think aliases are tracked? If it's with the credit reporting agencies or SS, there's a "paper" (or digital) trail, so of course it's known, forever.
[ To be fair, I'm happy enough he is still willing to be subject to court orders. If he stops, I see the odds of him being shot out of office increasing dramatically, which has it's own ups and downs . . the dice rolled are far larger and heavier in that case, and it is not possible to know what they will crush in rolling or what face will be up when they stop. It could be they land on us. ]
I applied for mine two weeks ago. I just got an email today from the state department, letting me know they received it and that it will be completed in 2 to 3 weeks. I included a copy of the injunction with my application. I even included my letter from the surgeon, affirming that I had my gender reassignment surgery. They can collect all the data they want on me. I’m not scared of the toothless criminals running this country. Not in the least. I’ll let y’all know how it goes.
At the in-person appt I had on 6/20 at an issuing agency, they refused to take a copy of the court order or any further supplemental documents (the same reports from my surgeon I gave in 2015 to get a correct passport) to go in with the application. They simply sent me away, and said that someone would "call me" when "they got guidance." Later that evening I got an email anyway, with a locator number saying it was in process. I'm very sad to say that considering they made a non-consensual change to the RENEWAL (2015 doc expired in May) by reverting my marker back to F from M-- I wish I could say I was hopeful. I'm trying. I've put off business travel to Canada since January when this fiasco began.
This is encouraging news! I'm guessing the form pictured here will be sent to those who mailed in applications recently and will soon be made available on official sites for those who need to mail in applications because they live too far from regional agency offices. I don't like that my data will be collected in this way, but I suspect it already has so I'm going to use this form anyway because I don't think it will change anything. I'd rather have an accurate document to get the hell out of here if that becomes necessary. And I like the idea of sticking it to the administration and making them go through the effort to change a passport they refused to print correctly the first time because of their bigotry.
Still being "processed" here, after having a plane ticket for international travel and an appointment on 6/20 at a passport issuing office for immediate service (Buffalo NY). Can't wait to see what I get for "expedited service." I had to use the travel insurance and will have to re-book again. This, the third run since my January 23 attempt to simply RENEW WITH NO CHANGES. They made a non-consensual change to my new document, reverting the "M" back to "F." So hard for me to believe that the country I love--is doing this stuff to people.
Thank you for your reporting on this, Erin. It's tremendously helpful as my daughter and I try to figure out how and when to get her passport corrected. We're in Canada, and it can take months to get an in person appointment at the consulate, much better if she can mail in the correction request.
Update from upstate New York after 3rd rodeo since January 23 to simply get a RENEWAL (no changes, except for what THEY caused with THEIR non-consensual gender marker change to the "renewal" back to old info); Buffalo Passport Issuing Office called me to advise about this attestation form, and said they were sending me one to then jump through one more hoop to get a document I can actually travel on. Here's hoping, although it ain't over 'til it's over?
What about those of us who applied with an "x" marker and received their passport with assigned at birth designation? Do we have to pay a second time to have it corrected? There was the choice for X on the application.
It's a question of how, where and who will have access to the data too. And how long they store such things for. And in what sort of conditions (files, computer, single storage, multiple, with birth records, by nationality/state/age, or by the receiving body's instant decision). Lots of questions there. And a fair few possible mishaps.
The state department keeps permanent records of all of this. They have all of my childhood passports including some with diplomatic status information even though they are long expired from many decades ago. Same with SSA records. It's scary but this is why we fight for our rights because fear won't change what they can already derive from federal and whatever systems cooperate with data aggregation.
Fighting for our rights is always the best thing we can do. My hope for mishaps in the organisation stems from people-panic and misinterpreted instructions, which can crop up any time government starts issuing new orders or ideas or cancelling them, or sacking the staff who knew how to operate the system. The fight never stops, but we can hope as well.
They'll keep trying to see what they can get away with. It's exhausting but trans people are some of the most resilient. We made it this far. I think so many of us have already felt like we've climbed mountains to get to this point in our lives. We can and will continue to climb!
Real talk, this hits me hard and has real effects on my mental health, no denying the cruelty is intentional. Giving in would feel so much worse though. Fighting to survive is one part of it but also finding joy in life such a strong rejection of our erasure and the fascism which has hurried it upon us. Let's celebrate our resistance to erasure, even if this particular detail is short lived.
I support all celebration! I'm an ally - my family have two trans members as well as gay ones, plus gay friends. We support the Pride celebrations here in York and Leeds, UK. And all Trans Rights.
From the article: "However, transgender applicants changing their passports will have data collected indicating their class status—data that could potentially be used to compile lists of transgender passport holders."
Am I berserk for keeping my eyes peeled for something much darker on the horizon for us? "transgender applicants...will have data collected" sits in my head alongside "Alligator Alcatraz" to scare the shit out of me. And it's not just this one pairing of data points that has me unnerved. Someone please tell me not to be worried, and why.
"Am I berserk for keeping my eyes peeled for something much darker on the horizon for us? "
Nope.
Thank you, Talia.
Put this alongside yesterday's news saying that people of poor "moral character" will be targeted for deportation. Think about the words used to justify the expulsion of transgender service members. They are dishonest, liars, untrustworthy. Brick by brick, the case against us is being built. Not a good time to renew or apply for a passport. But then again, most of us are going to show up on those lists because we will be somewhere in the medical data bases under the diagnosis gender dysphoria. It is going to be pretty easy to come up with that list.
You nailed it Linden. The fact that my 2015 was corrected "with proof" (M) under the old system and upon my "RENEWAL WITHOUT CHANGES" in January this year, the regime changed it back (to F) without communicating with me prior-- is proof that they long ago already had/have the goods on us all.
That's chilling.
Not really. Why would anyone expect that large surveillance states in our world would somehow "lose" the trail of who a person (as taxpayer, subject, dissident etc) is? It's as old as time that people have played "dress up" to evade authorities, and that's what we get accused of, no? Playing dress up? Being a "fraud?" Instead of simply being BORN with a brain-body mismatch that has been found to be rooted in genetics and science for decades? A condition requiring care, treatment and maintenance like zillions of human congenital conditions? When we really start peeling the layers of this onion (lovingly I call it the "alphabet soup" that LGBTQIA+++ has become) and take it to its logical conclusion, all we're likely to find is that the 10% of diversity in the human population is all largely the result of that same thing. Just simply gestation and the stuff that goes on hormonally, chromosomally, genetically etc-- and we get diversity. Yup. All God's children just the same.
I should rephrase: to me it's chilling, or rather part of it is. I grew up with Kennedy Democrats, and therefore with a fundamental, even unconscious belief in government as a benign entity. I also grew up white, "male-looking," middle class, etc.--all those privileges. So I'm still getting used to the idea of a government that wants to use us and our data for malevolent purposes.
Yup, we're likely the same generation and disposition. I grew up in the 60's-70's with FDR-JFK Dem's, white, consistently "misgendered" as male (with the string of female paramours from elementary school on up, was a star Little League pitcher in boy's baseball) middle class -- all those privileges including building and operating two successful businesses since finishing my degree in the 80's. Yet, call it my learned skepticism (learned from all those harassing little boys on the team who became teens and were convinced that I WAS a boy and were determined to find proof) I've never had any illusions about the more recent phenomenon of the past 30 years and especially 5-10-- that heteronormative society was any more "totally accepting" of sex/gender/orientation minorities than they have proven themselves of squashing racism. I haven't reached totally jaded status yet, but I'll admit getting that f'd passport on February 18th has been challenging on that front. A call from the issuing office yesterday is helping, but ....until I have that correct document in my hand again (all this was was a 10 year RENEWAL, not attempt to change anything. THEY made the non-consensual gender marker change reverting back to pre-2015 information), I'm reserving judgement. PS: that FDR-JFK Dem who was my father ultimately became a Reaganite and yes, Trumper, taking my only brother, formerly the most a-political person on the planet, with him. The loss of our mother, Dad's moderating force, 28 years ago just as Fox News was winding up, was no help.
It's always safest to assume the worst of this regime.
This kind of shit concerns me greatly, too. I'm worried for my trans daughter and our trans friends.
I guess at this point having a passport makes me feel safer than the threat of being put on some sort of list…
My passport application was kicked back to me with a letter saying they require further evidence of gender assigned at birth. As I had already had my birth certificate amended, showing correct name and correct gender marker, I responded to the request by asking what further evidence would be acceptable. Well, I actually said “I provided you with my original birth certificate - what further evidence would you like? Perhaps a letter from my Mom?” Surprisingly enough, they responded by issuing the passport with correct info. Not sure how successful responding with snarky comments and overt sarcasm will be for anyone else.
"Perhaps a letter from my Mom?" <-- Love that!
Lucky you. My RENEWAL (no changes) had them pulling information from who knows when/where, and doing a non-consensual change, back to original documents. So in essence, not a renewal at all. I'm awaiting next steps on try #3 with the issuing office I went to in person on 6/20.
I have heard of that happening to a lot of us. I hope you’re able to get it corrected.
I saw that you mentioned that they gov't will be keeping tabs on trans individuals who apply for passports and store that data, but quite frankly, they don't even need that data as they have the data already from anyone who changed their SS card. Just an FYI. They still send draft notices to trans females when they turn 18, even if they changed their SS and ALL documentation over 10 years earlier.
My thoughts as well. I do think they could consider attestation a slightly stronger form of evidence which could potentially allow a court to compel trans people to return documents if this is overturned or be treated as fraud if used (I'm guessing, not an expert). Depending on what you feel your risks are, it seems fair exercise our class membership but take the change very seriously.
I mean, when I gave my ATTESTATION on the DS 82 that I filed in person (third try since 1/23), isn't that enough of an "attestation" of who I am?
I’m not scared of these toothless lions
I don't think it's accurate to call them toothless. The harm is very real in many cases already. You are correct in that many of their threats are toothless but I'd not scoff at the seriousness of their intentions. Specifically, complying in advance with policy that is not law is a terrible idea. Trump can direct federal employees but not civilians and even the prior has rules (which occasionally get upheld even now).
I guess you’re correct. The word toothless was not the best. I’m not scared of them though. I’m scared for other transgender people. I served over 23 years in the army and I was special forces. A green beret. I’ve had friends be horribly maimed or killed in service to this country. I’ve deployed all over. Afghanistan, Bosnia Africa, you name it. I am well prepared to defend myself against any 1099 Paul Bart mall cop ICE contractors that come knocking on my door. I refuse to live my life in
fear. I’ve survived too much already to be scared of these heartless cowards.
Processing the passports of transgender people with their correct gender markers costs the Trump administration nothing and in fact allows them to keep up to date records of the trans population and corelate our records across all federal databases in a post-DOGE data security environment. Every point of contact we have with the federal government can be cross referenced and flagged as "trans" at any time, for any purpose.
If anyone has ever thought that somehow the government "loses" old information when new is provided is a total fool anyway? How do people think aliases are tracked? If it's with the credit reporting agencies or SS, there's a "paper" (or digital) trail, so of course it's known, forever.
So, for now (to our benefit), TACO applies.
Trump! always chickens out!
[ To be fair, I'm happy enough he is still willing to be subject to court orders. If he stops, I see the odds of him being shot out of office increasing dramatically, which has it's own ups and downs . . the dice rolled are far larger and heavier in that case, and it is not possible to know what they will crush in rolling or what face will be up when they stop. It could be they land on us. ]
I applied for mine two weeks ago. I just got an email today from the state department, letting me know they received it and that it will be completed in 2 to 3 weeks. I included a copy of the injunction with my application. I even included my letter from the surgeon, affirming that I had my gender reassignment surgery. They can collect all the data they want on me. I’m not scared of the toothless criminals running this country. Not in the least. I’ll let y’all know how it goes.
At the in-person appt I had on 6/20 at an issuing agency, they refused to take a copy of the court order or any further supplemental documents (the same reports from my surgeon I gave in 2015 to get a correct passport) to go in with the application. They simply sent me away, and said that someone would "call me" when "they got guidance." Later that evening I got an email anyway, with a locator number saying it was in process. I'm very sad to say that considering they made a non-consensual change to the RENEWAL (2015 doc expired in May) by reverting my marker back to F from M-- I wish I could say I was hopeful. I'm trying. I've put off business travel to Canada since January when this fiasco began.
This is encouraging news! I'm guessing the form pictured here will be sent to those who mailed in applications recently and will soon be made available on official sites for those who need to mail in applications because they live too far from regional agency offices. I don't like that my data will be collected in this way, but I suspect it already has so I'm going to use this form anyway because I don't think it will change anything. I'd rather have an accurate document to get the hell out of here if that becomes necessary. And I like the idea of sticking it to the administration and making them go through the effort to change a passport they refused to print correctly the first time because of their bigotry.
Still being "processed" here, after having a plane ticket for international travel and an appointment on 6/20 at a passport issuing office for immediate service (Buffalo NY). Can't wait to see what I get for "expedited service." I had to use the travel insurance and will have to re-book again. This, the third run since my January 23 attempt to simply RENEW WITH NO CHANGES. They made a non-consensual change to my new document, reverting the "M" back to "F." So hard for me to believe that the country I love--is doing this stuff to people.
Thank you for your reporting on this, Erin. It's tremendously helpful as my daughter and I try to figure out how and when to get her passport corrected. We're in Canada, and it can take months to get an in person appointment at the consulate, much better if she can mail in the correction request.
Update from upstate New York after 3rd rodeo since January 23 to simply get a RENEWAL (no changes, except for what THEY caused with THEIR non-consensual gender marker change to the "renewal" back to old info); Buffalo Passport Issuing Office called me to advise about this attestation form, and said they were sending me one to then jump through one more hoop to get a document I can actually travel on. Here's hoping, although it ain't over 'til it's over?
Leave it to these fascist fuckheads to give even their compliance a sinister edge to it.
What about those of us who applied with an "x" marker and received their passport with assigned at birth designation? Do we have to pay a second time to have it corrected? There was the choice for X on the application.
This whole thing is too easy…it feels like a trap. Just tread carefully, all.
I'm really glad to hear this!
It's a question of how, where and who will have access to the data too. And how long they store such things for. And in what sort of conditions (files, computer, single storage, multiple, with birth records, by nationality/state/age, or by the receiving body's instant decision). Lots of questions there. And a fair few possible mishaps.
The state department keeps permanent records of all of this. They have all of my childhood passports including some with diplomatic status information even though they are long expired from many decades ago. Same with SSA records. It's scary but this is why we fight for our rights because fear won't change what they can already derive from federal and whatever systems cooperate with data aggregation.
Fighting for our rights is always the best thing we can do. My hope for mishaps in the organisation stems from people-panic and misinterpreted instructions, which can crop up any time government starts issuing new orders or ideas or cancelling them, or sacking the staff who knew how to operate the system. The fight never stops, but we can hope as well.
They'll keep trying to see what they can get away with. It's exhausting but trans people are some of the most resilient. We made it this far. I think so many of us have already felt like we've climbed mountains to get to this point in our lives. We can and will continue to climb!
Real talk, this hits me hard and has real effects on my mental health, no denying the cruelty is intentional. Giving in would feel so much worse though. Fighting to survive is one part of it but also finding joy in life such a strong rejection of our erasure and the fascism which has hurried it upon us. Let's celebrate our resistance to erasure, even if this particular detail is short lived.
I support all celebration! I'm an ally - my family have two trans members as well as gay ones, plus gay friends. We support the Pride celebrations here in York and Leeds, UK. And all Trans Rights.
Nailed it.