The 'X' marker in the passport was used so that people could identify themselves as non -binary or for those who do not conform to gender norms.
The United States stopped issuing passports with a neutral “X” option, said the State Department, after the order of President Donald Trump.
The measure reverts the option introduced for the first time under the administration of former president Joe Biden and leaves an unknown number of people waiting for more guidance on the destiny of their pending applications and their passports already issued.
Trump, shortly after assuming the position on Monday, signed an executive order that requires that federal agencies only give the option of men or women.
“The issuance of American passports by the department will reflect the biological sex of the individual as defined in the executive order,” said a spokesman for the United States Department of State on Friday night.
The spokesman said that the department “is no longer issuing US passports with X markers” and has “suspended the processing of all requests that seek a sexual score other than defined in the terms of the executive order.”
“Increases on passports with sex marker X issued above will be provided soon,” added the spokesman, and said that the updates will be published on the department's travel website.
The State Department issued its first passport with the “X” designation in October 2021, after a long legal battle released by an intersex person of Colorado. He began to regularly process the passports “X” in early 2022.
The department has not published figures on how many people have requested or received a “X” passport, but a study by the Williams Institute of the UCLA Law Faculty estimated that more than 16,000 people would request one each year.
During the electoral campaign, Trump dismissed transgender policies, in particular those related to women's sports and medical care for children, as part of a general offensive against diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives (DEI).
On Monday, he ordered the immediate suspension of federal programs, anti -discrimination and recognition of transgender identity, which caused the outrage of human rights groups and created immense legal uncertainty.
It is estimated that these actions could face legal challenges.
Many states allow driving licenses to be issued with a neutral “X” option in terms of gender, while several countries have similar practices, including Australia, Canada and Germany.