OPPOSE Anti-Trans Changes in Passport Application Documents |
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John,
As I’m sure you’re aware, President Trump issued Executive Order 14168 on his first day in office, seeking to establish restrictive, harmful policy and ideology around trans identity and trans people. This executive order attacks gender-affirming care, non-discrimination protections, and gender self-identification on federal documents, among other impacts. In response to this order, the U.S. Department of State is proposing changes to three passport forms that would require people to report their sex assigned at birth. The affected forms are as follows:
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- Form DS-11 (Application for a U.S. Passport)
- Form DS-82 (U.S. Passport Renewal Application for Eligible Individuals)
- Form DS-5504 (Application for a U.S. Passport for Eligible Individuals: Correction, Name Change to Passport Issued 1 Year Ago or Less, and Limited Passport Replacement)
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The State Department is currently running a public comment period for each of these three forms to gather public opinion on whether the proposed changes are necessary, valid, will improve information collection, and will reduce burden on people submitting the forms. The comment periods all close next week, so we have a short amount of time left to let the Department know that these changes are harmful to trans, nonbinary, and intersex communities and put people at risk for discrimination and harassment.
Commenting is important because it helps build a strong public record of opposition that organizations can point to for other advocacy and litigation efforts. There are a few methods to do so: |
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ACLU National has created a form to collect comments on these proposals, linked here. This form requires that your name be included with your comment, and addresses form DS-11 first. If you submit a comment, the ACLU will follow up with you via email to submit additional comments on forms DS-82 and DS-5504.
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Advocates 4 Trans Equality also has three forms to submit your comments through - all three are linked on this webpage. These forms will also require you to submit your name.
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If you would prefer to submit comments anonymously, you must use the government’s website to send in your submission. You can comment on one, two, or all three forms using the links below. Please include the DS form number, information collection title, and the OMB control number in your comment to make sure that your submission is correctly linked:
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If you choose to submit one or multiple comments through any of these methods, here are a few things to remember: |
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Be aware that any information shared in your comment will be made public. Please refrain from including location information or other details that may put you or others at risk.
- Share your personal story to the extent you feel comfortable. You can also support your comment with data and research about how policies like this harm trans people.
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If you use the ACLU’s or A4TE’s forms to submit a comment, be sure to edit the default comment text and make it your own - unique comments are always more effective.
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Requiring people to submit their sex assigned at birth is a harmful burden on trans people, presents invalid information about who they are, and opens people up to discrimination and harassment. Trans, intersex, and nonbinary citizens have been able to obtain a passport that reflects who they are for more than 30 years. These changes will take us backward and target a small population to deny them the ability to safely travel and go about their daily lives.
We greatly appreciate your advocacy, and please feel free to reach out to [email protected] with any questions that you may have.
In solidarity,
Kyleigh Hynes (she/her) Director of Advocacy Equality Virginia |
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Equality Virginia
530 East Main Street
Suite 600
Richmond, VA 23219
United States |
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