46 Comments
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Lee Work's avatar

I hate this fucking timeline.

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Yasha's avatar

"Self inflicted." This is why I hate the whole concept of "gender identity". It makes it seem like being trans is whimsical, like we ordered our gender online after perusing options on Amazon. I didn't "self identify" as being trans, I AM TRANS. "Transgender" reflects my experience of being, my dispositions, orientations, and relationships with society, the world, and my body.

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Shirley Gauthier she/her's avatar

I appreciate your comment. As an ally I am actively educating myself. Your comment raised my awareness. Thank you.

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Yasha's avatar

Very sweet of you to say Shirley, thanks so much!

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Grayson Rosen's avatar

Terrifying. Does anyone know whether they have retained records for passports changed during the Biden years? As in, do they have a way to know which passports to revoke beyond the ones being changed during this period? Trying to determine if this is the sign to GTFO now or if I’m over-reacting. I had my passport updated two years ago, new name and gender.

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Dani's avatar

As far as I know, social security changes are all logged permanently so if you changed your sex marker/name on social security they can definitely use that information to determine who they need to revoke a passport from.

This is hypothetical but I believe this is a big part of their reasoning to get DOGE access to SSN info in addition to creating the Palantir "master database" on all citizens. They have a list of all people who have transitioned legally and I believe it's their full intent to use that list to harm us.

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Laura L. Zielke's avatar

This is no bueno.

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SoCal El Lobo's avatar

The DOS website states:

We have passport records from March 1925 to the present. The Privacy Act of 1974 protects records. Records may include:

Passport Applications

Consular Report of Birth

Consular Report of Death

Certificate of Witness to Marriage

Certificate of Loss of Nationality

Passport records do not include evidence of travel such as entrance or exit stamps, visas, or residence permits.

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Laura L. Zielke's avatar

I was wondering the same thing.

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Reese's avatar

I'm interested to know this too

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Jackie Batterson's avatar

I certainly can’t express how much I hate that the SCOTUS will determine this. They can’t be trusted.

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Roadie's avatar

It’s pretty routine at this point. This admin files and they rubber stamp.

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Anne Kiefer's avatar

Trump and MAGA are relentlessly malevolent in their efforts to scrub the trans community from society.

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Erin's avatar

Just how quickly could this happen? We are planning to take care of my child's passport this week, friday.....could this happen before then?

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Erin Reed's avatar

I'm anticipating early October.

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Erin's avatar

Also Erin, the attestation form, makes me nervous. Though I know we have to submit that too. This all seems like a way to create a "list" of our beautiful comunity....and it be used for nafariuos reasons in the future. We are in MA, and I feel my child is "safe" but....there is an inderlying anxiety in me.....

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Carol Hunt's avatar

I’m in MA also and share your feelings.

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Erin's avatar

OK. So, we could go this friday. Get it all set, sent in via right there at the post office and be OK?

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Erin Reed's avatar

Maybe. It depends on what they do with changed passports if SCOTUS grants their stay.

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Erin's avatar

Is it even safe to go ahead and change a passport then? My child could in theory travel/leave the country on her passport with deadname?

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Sarah F's avatar

Honestly, I wouldn't. I assume you would be fleeing to somewhere like Spain and not Saudi Arabia. Trust me that the western world (maybe aside from the UK) is very sympathetic to the plight of trans people right now. I don't think your daughter's deadname passport would be risky for entering a friendly country.

If Europe is your destination, I would suggest hopping from JFK (friendly airport) to Iceland (friendly country), en route to your final destination. You would only need to show the passport in Reykjavik.

If your daughter leaves on a correct passport, like I did, she runs the risk of having her passport revoked while she is abroad. That would render her stateless.

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Katrina deVille's avatar

The prejudice and hateful maliciousness of policy of this administration distinctly billboards and reflects the magnitude of contempt and viscous disregard they have for ALL Americans, not just trans people. We’re currently the only group of citizens they feel they can get away with doing this to, but as trump’s approval ratings continue to tank, they’ll keep moving the Overton window of the hateful Heritage Foundation further right, especially if the corrupt SCOTUS decides to rule in the government’s favor. Transgender people are American citizens. Any attack on trans people, black people, women, immigrants, disabled people, etc. with regard to civil rights is an attack on ALL Americans civil rights.

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Zoey Kuhn's avatar

And we all know the supreme court could care less about the constitution. I am terrified, but I'm stuck here.

My Mom doesn't seem to get how bad it is right now. She just says "live your life", but it's pretty difficult when we know people who just live their life are getting snatched from their job based off the color of their skin.

Is there anything I can do? I don't like being helpless.

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Shelley Grier's avatar

I liked this in appreciation for your work, Erin, but I don’t like what it’s about at all. My stomach dropped when I read the headline. 😣😣😣

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Mike Gelt's avatar

Unfortunately I’m not hopeful this Supreme Court will uphold the lower courts decision

This court is filled with homophobes that has shown that they will not protect LQBTQ PEOPLE LET ALONE RULE AGAINST TRUMP

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Claire Davis's avatar

It sounds like Trump is grossly misusing the “shadow docket” to push his own nefarious agenda. Eventually, he probably hopes to ban all of us from traveling, keeping us stuck in the U.S. indefinitely, so that we are easier to control. Perhaps modeling after North Korea. Donald definitely is a huge fan and longtime admirer of Kim Jong Un. Attacking trans people’s travel rights is likely the beginning for him, not the end. Regardless, cisgender people MUST look out for our trans family members, friends, students, etc. banding together, we will be strong against this disgusting tyranny!

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Susan Tuzzolino's avatar

We truly need to connect to one another country wide. How can we do this? How can we form a group of allies across the country; Hold hands across states? This news letter helps, but I need more; I think we all do!

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Michelle Paquette's avatar

I fully expect that just banning accurate descriptions on our passports won’t be enough for them soon. I expect that existing corrected passports will be canceled soon under the argument that they also interfere with the Executives ability to communicate with foreign governments. Yes, that is how the regime is arguing for the right to deny placing our gender identity on passports.

We potential Nihilistic Violent Extremists shouldn’t be allowed to travel to foreign countries without their government being alerted to our presence at the booth of some poor Passport Control officer trying to match the appearance of someone standing before them with that little M or F on the passport.

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Talia Perkins's avatar

Thank you. I know you'll keep us informed.

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Stacy Dudovitz's avatar

I think it worth pointing out that WRT any database of list of those who transitioned, the passport is of one but many areas they can check. If you applied for a Known Traveler Number (KTN), if you applied to purchase a firearm, even if you are getting your Real ID on your state drivers license... these are all pressure points that can be used to cause significant harm to the trans community.

While I applied for my passport many years ago, I applied last year for my KTN to expedite the boarding process when I fly. I also updated my license to Real ID within the last several years. So am I "less safe"? I don't think any of us knows just how deep DOGE has exposed our data.

Maybe that's the point though. If we live in fear of just "living", then they *win*. We've already seen how pre-compliance has worked out for law firms, universities, etc. The best way to fight back is to live your best life, whatever that looks like to you.

Live Más!

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Susan Tuzzolino's avatar

Yes, I love this! "Live your best life"

thanks for that!

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Jenn C's avatar

This is exactly why I gotine before the election.

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Erin Reed's avatar

The very first post I made after the election was a plea to trans people to rush their passports. I hope many listened!

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Evelyn Belle Scott's avatar

From what you've suggested here, even that may not be of much help going forward, should the administration decide to revoke or revise previously-issued passports - a decision which could only be motivated by the cruelty that has become the modus operandi of this administration.

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WmnOfDistxn's avatar

My son has everything changed except his birth certificate. Would it help to get that changed quickly, or will that even matter at this point? His father is worried that changing it will somehow “alert the system” and he shoudl just fly under the radar. I am worried that it is the only loose thread that can show he is trans.

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Sarah F's avatar

As far as I'm aware, nobody really finds you by your birth records. Court orders, on the other hand (e.g. name change, gender marker change) are quite searchable. IMO, it's best to fly under the radar insofar as possible.

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Ellen Adele Harper's avatar

Not surprising at all. If you can get out of this country right now, I suggest you do so. I can't so I will fighting for trans rights.

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