Hunter Schafer’s new passport lists her as male
Hunter Schafer is best known for playing Jules in Euphoria. (Getty)
Transgender actress Hunter Schafer has shown off her brand-new passport, which now appears to list her gender marker as “M” rather than female.
In a TikTok video posted yesterday (February 21), Schafer showed off her new passport which has the “M” marker despite selecting female when she filled out the paperwork.
She started the video by saying she had been given a “harsh reality check” after receiving the passport, as all of her government-issued IDs have listed her as female since she was a teenager.
Schafer, who is best known for her roles in Euphoria and The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, said she applied for a new passport after losing her old one while filming overseas, and now anticipates having to “out” herself at the airport in order to be let through.
The new passport aligns with policies implemented in the State Department (which issues passports) after President Donald Trump signed an executive order to declare that the U.S would only recognise two sexes that have been assigned at birth, male and female.
In recent weeks, many trans people had been reporting issues with getting their passport applications processed due to the change as the applicants would have listed a gender marker that aligned with their gender identity.
The State Department also removed the option to select “X” as a gender marker for people who are non-binary.
Schafer said she had heard about the policies and the administration’s plan to eradicate “gender ideology extremism” but dismissed it as “just talk”.
“I was like, ‘I’ll believe it when I see it,’ and today, I saw it on my new passport. I was shocked because I didn’t think it was actually going to happen. I wanna acknowledge my privilege as a celebrity trans woman who is white and thin and can adhere to contemporary beauty standards — and it still happened,” Schafer explained, adding that she wanted to post the video in order to highlight “the reality of the situation” for those who may be unaware.
Schafer believes that the State Department are now cross-referencing passport applications with birth certificates to confirm the gender marker as she never changed her birth certificate, only her IDs.
But, despite the concerns surrounding this and how it may impact trans people travelling or even using their ID to work, rent, or buy a drink, Schafer was clear with her opinion.
She said: “I don’t give a f*** that they put an M on my passport. It doesn’t change really anything about me or my transness. However, it does make life a little harder.”
“Trans people are beautiful. We are never going to stop existing. I’m never gonna stop being trans. A letter and a passport can’t change that. And f*** this administration,” Schafer added.
In addition to the new policy on passports, Trump has signed several other executive orders in recent weeks targeting trans people, including limiting trans girls and women from playing school sports, banning trans people from serving in the military, and restrictions on gender-affirming care.
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