Key Takeaways:

• The U.S. State Department has suspended all applications for passports with 'X' gender markers.
• Secretary of State Marco Rubio's email directed staff to implement strict new guidelines following a Trump executive order.
• The order limits federal identification documents to only recognize male and female sex classifications.
• Existing passports with 'X' markers remain valid but face complications in renewal processes.

In a significant policy shift, the U.S. State Department has announced a suspension of passport applications that request an 'X' gender marker or any changes to gender identity on existing passports. This directive was issued by Secretary of State Marco Rubio following an executive order signed by President Donald Trump on his first day in office.

According to a confidential email obtained by HuffPost, Rubio instructed department staff to "suspend any application requesting an X sex marker” and those seeking to change their sex marker. The executive order, titled "Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government," defines sex strictly as either male or female, disregarding the concept of gender identity.

Since April 2022, the State Department has issued passports allowing people to select an 'X' gender marker, a policy born from a lawsuit by Dana Zzyym, a nonbinary U.S. Navy veteran. While passports already issued with the 'X' designation remain valid, complications are expected for renewals, as officials have not clarified how applicants with existing 'X' markers will navigate future applications.

Rubio's directive has generated considerable concern among transgender communities, many of whom now face uncertainty regarding their identification documents. Despite the ongoing implementation of the new guidelines, the Indian Times reported that stuck applications and existing 'X' passports might be dealt with through further communications from the State Department.

As the situation unfolds, legal experts from organizations like the ACLU are closely monitoring the implications of the new policies, striving to safeguard the rights of individuals affected by these abrupt changes.