SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Hunter Schafer recently emphasized the importance of staying informed about current events in the country, a day after she shared a video highlighting a significant issue with her new passport. In that video, the “Euphoria” star revealed that her passport was issued with a male gender marker, despite her identifying as female. Speaking on the red carpet at the Independent Spirit Awards, where she presented an award, the 26-year-old actress shared that she felt compelled to shed light on this situation following her experience. She also received a nomination for best lead performance in her latest project, “Cuckoo.”
The controversy arises from an executive order signed by former President Donald Trump on his very first day in office. This order established a stringent federal definition of gender, categorizing individuals strictly as either male or female. According to this directive, all official documents, including passports, must reflect this binary classification. Additionally, the State Department has stopped issuing passports with an “X” gender option, which was made available in 2021, and is not processing requests to change gender markers from male to female or vice versa.
In the video Schafer shared on TikTok, which lasts 8 ½ minutes, she recounts how her original passport, which she expected would serve her well into her 30s, was stolen while she was working in Spain. After acquiring an emergency passport, she later applied for a new permanent one upon returning to Los Angeles. Despite having female gender markers on her previous documents since she began her transition as a teenager, Schafer was surprised to receive a passport identifying her as male; this discrepancy occurred despite her application indicating her gender as female, and she noted that she had not changed her birth certificate.
In her TikTok, Schafer addressed the executive order directly, saying, “Because our president, you know, is a lot of talk, I was like, ‘I’ll believe it when I see it.’ And, today, I saw it,” while showing her new passport’s male designation. She clarified that her intention in creating the video wasn’t to create panic or seek sympathy, but rather to highlight the reality of her experience.
Schafer expressed gratitude for the support from her community throughout this ordeal, saying, “I wasn’t even really looking for support, but I have an amazing community around me and it’s one of the greatest blessings of my life.” On the red carpet, she discussed the challenges posed by the new passport, indicating that it would complicate her upcoming travels.
Concluding her video, she stated, “Trans people are beautiful. We are never going to stop existing. I’m never going to stop being trans. A letter and a passport can’t change that.” The State Department has responded to inquiries by stating that it is acting in accordance with Trump’s executive order but refrained from commenting on individual cases due to privacy concerns and regulations.
