The Canadian government has issued a caution to citizens who designate “X” as their gender in their passports, warning of potential difficulties when entering the United States. This update was recently made by the Department of Global Affairs, which included guidance on its travel advice page for 2SLGBTQ+ Canadian passport holders.
The advisory states that although Canada issues passports with an ‘X’ gender identifier, it cannot ensure unimpeded entry or transit through other countries. Individuals may encounter entry restrictions in nations that do not acknowledge the ‘X’ gender identifier. Therefore, Canadians may still be required to provide their sex/gender information as either male or female when traveling.
This action follows U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive order, directing the U.S. government to recognize only two sexes: male and female. The order stipulates that all U.S. federal government documents should refer to “sex” rather than “gender.” The validity of Trump’s executive order is currently being contested in court, with the administration seeking to overturn a U.S. district court order that blocked the State Department from implementing Trump’s policy restricting the issuance of U.S. passports recognizing genders other than male and female.
As of January, approximately 3,600 Canadian citizens had chosen “X” as their gender on their passports, an option available since 2019. Notably, officials from the Department of Global Affairs and Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand’s office have not responded to inquiries from CBC News regarding the timing of the warning’s addition after Trump’s executive order was issued.
The U.S. Embassy in Canada, represented by spokeswoman Jennifer Young, cited the current government shutdown as the reason for their inability to comment on the change. Global Affairs has been actively increasing its cautionary messages about traveling to the United States, following updates to travel advisories in response to anti-2SLGBTQ+ laws adopted by several U.S. states in 2023. The latest warning pertains to the likelihood of heightened scrutiny upon entering the U.S.
In a related development, the Canada Border Services Agency announced in August that individuals applying for new Nexus trusted traveler cards or renewing existing ones would no longer have the option to select X as their gender. This move aligns with the evolving regulations and policies affecting gender identification on official documents.
