Attorney General Kwame Raoul, along with a coalition of 12 attorneys general, has submitted a comment letter to the U.S. Department of State. The letter opposes proposed changes to the passport application process that could prevent transgender and nonbinary individuals from obtaining passports that align with their gender identity.
Raoul stated, "This change in the passport application process is the latest of the Trump administration’s efforts to diminish the existence of transgender and nonbinary Americans. Prohibiting transgender and nonbinary people from having identification documents that align with their gender identity makes them less safe."
The executive order issued on January 20 by the Trump administration declares that only two sexes, male and female, will be recognized by the United States. It instructs relevant departments to implement changes ensuring government-issued identification documents reflect this definition. This includes passports, visas, and Global Entry cards.
The coalition argues that these proposed changes could harm nonbinary and transgender individuals by forcing them to carry identity documents inconsistent with their gender identity. Such discrepancies may lead to confusion or harassment during travel. Additionally, there are concerns about psychological harm stemming from these policies.
The policy is said to potentially create confusion between state-issued identification cards and federal documents since many states allow for gender marker changes on identifying documents. Sixteen states, including Illinois, permit transgender and nonbinary individuals to amend their birth certificates to accurately reflect their gender identity.
Joining Raoul in this initiative are attorneys general from California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York Oregon, Vermont, and Washington.