Queer Today 12:43 PM

Trump Order Causing Document Troubles for Trans People

There’s Seemingly No Recourse, And Few Answers

President Donald Trump’s first two and a half weeks in office threw the lives of transgender people in the US into chaos.

Through executive orders, he’s moved to ban trans women and girls from sports, ban federal support of gender-affirming care for people age 19 and younger, and set the stage for a trans military ban under the Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. But no order has likely affected more trans people than the first he signed on Day 1 of his presidency, or “Defending Women From Gender Ideology and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.”

The order is a federal redefinition of sex—scrubbing all mention of trans people and trans-friendly policy from federal websites, directing federal prisons to remove trans people from the facilities that don’t align with their birth sex, banning the use of federal funds for gender-affirming care (a directive to effectively detransition those same federal prisoners who can’t get hormones any other place) and forcing trans people on Medicaid to pay for pricey drugs out of pocket.

At some point, the Office of Personnel Management and Homeland Security will implement changes that require “government-issued identification documents, including passports, visas, and Global Entry cards to accurately reflect the holder’s sex.”

Legal challenges are already filed, including a lawsuit from the American Civil Liberties Union challenging the state department’s “refusal to issue accurate sex designations”—these are not laws, they’re directives, and likely unconstitutional power grabs from the executive branch—but so are changes to federal policy. As we wrote last week, trans people can no longer update the gender marker on their passport or the one on file with the Social Security Administration, because, based on this redefinition, we don’t exactly have “gender markers” anymore.

Instead, Trump replaced them with sex markers. His administration believes sex is locked at conception. Technically speaking, we’re nothing. We’re sexless. But the complexities, and come to think of it, simplicities, of biology, the prevalence of intersex conditions visible and invisible to the naked eye, and the demonstrable reality of gender variance in daily life, across cultures, and throughout time, is just hooey, they say. Woke, meaningless, irrelevant nonsense that must be snuffed out.

We’re starting to see this ideology in practice, and it’s creating real, practical problems for trans people. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has frozen applications from people who’ve requested “X” markers or a binary change of gender, according to Denise Diskin a volunteer attorney with the LGBTQ legal advocacy organization QLaw. It now appears the only one in the business of changing gender markers is Trump: Trans people who have secured emergency replacement passports have had them returned with their gender assigned at birth. To renew a passport, applicants must send in their current one, meaning that many now find themselves without a passport and no clear timeline for when they’ll get one back. In a Friday press release, The ACLU said that 1,500 transgender people or their families had contacted the organization, reporting suspended or pending passport applications.

Along with switching gender to sex on federal forms and documents, Trump’s order revoked the option for a gender neutral “X” marker on passports for non-binary people, intersex people, or anyone else who didn’t want a sex identification on their travel document.

For Camins Bretts, a  bald trans man with a beard and taste for expensive menswear, an “X” marker is practical. His appearance has confused border patrol agents since the 1980s. When he appeared to be a butch woman, agents saw a man fraudulently using a woman’s passport. He had the same problem after he transitioned, and really was a man using a woman’s passport.   Bretts recalled all the times he’d been detained at reentry for “false documents” and laughed.

“I mean, it’s a story every trans person tells me,” he says. “That’s not unique.”

How he’s gendered often depends on who’s looking. The “X” marker  could’ve at least  put an end to consistent border troubles. On January 22, Bretts applied for an emergency passport with an “X” marker, and scheduled an appointment to pick it up on the 27th, hoping to make some last minute travel plans with friends. A few hours after Rubio reportedly sent a memo to state department employees ending the use of X markers and halting gender marker changes, Bretts’ passport momentarily disappeared in the tracking system and then reappeared three days later. At the appointment, a woman told Bretts their passport was on hold. When Bretts asked for written documentation of that, she said there was none, and no appeals process, either. Looking distressed, the woman told Bretts to print out the executive order as documentation. A supervisor nodded his head behind her.

Bretts was unable to apply for a new passport under their assigned gender at birth because the Department had previously issued Bretts passports with both male and female markers. He walked away from the appointment with nothing, and no recourse, so he contacted their congressperson Pramila Jayapal and several legal organizations. On Tuesday, the Seattle passport office called to reaffirm they were not processing “X” passports. Bretts asked if that was a denial of their application, but the office couldn’t say. He’s since received notifications that their application was complete.

“Called [passport] helpline,” they texted. “Still Schrodinger’s passport—‘getting ready to manufacture book and card’ according to [the] agent … They could/would not answer my q’s about when it will be ready and what gender is in it.”

Evan Reding, a 24-year-old trans masculine person who passes as a cis man in daily life, says having an “F” on his passport is more of a safety concern than anything else. He hadn’t updated any of his documents prior to election day last year, but legally changed his name in December and sent in an application for a new, expedited passport on January 10th, expecting it back by at least January 31. A tracker on the State Department website shows his passport as “processing.” He checks it at least twice a day. He expects to receive a passport with an “F,” but scraping together the $600 he needed to update everything before Trump took office wasn’t easy. Reding says he wouldn’t have been able to do it without his mom’s help.

The other trans people, and parents of trans children, who spoke with The Stranger asked us to use their first name or pseudonyms to protect their identities.

Bailey, a trans woman also waiting for her passport, says she can afford to lose the $270 she spent, but it’s not why she went through this process. The thought that her passport may return with an “M” marker, adds to her prevailing feeling that the people in charge of this country hate her and people like her.

In the months before  Trump’s inauguration, 24-year-old Shiloh updated all their documents with a new name and gender marker, except the one on file with the Social Security Administration. Biggest face palm of his life, he says. It’d slipped his mind while recovering from top surgery; it’s also easy to forget. Social Security cards don’t have gender markers. They’re only visible from a SSA database called NUMIDENT, or Numerical Identification System.

Shiloh evidently got lucky, or at least secured a just in time appointment with the office. They changed their marker more than a week after Trump’s order went into effect. Four days later, the SSA sent workers an “emergency message” telling them not to process gender marker changes, and to tell applicants they were “not able to accept or process a sex field change,” according to reporting from independent journalist Chris Geidner. The policy is now posted on the agency’s website.

James’ daughter is trans, and they’re having trouble getting her a new passport from the State Department. They wanted to update her “X” passport to an “F,” but it’s lost in the government ether now.

The family has to decide by Thursday whether or not to cancel an upcoming vacation overseas. James estimates the non-refundable hotel stay and plane tickets will be in the $10,000 range. She’s suggested staying with her grandparents if they can’t work it out in time. But money is just money, he says. But James wonders what would happen if she really needed to leave, and that passport was locked in some kind of bureaucratic morass.

James has texted us regular updates about the family’s troubles. On Tuesday, they discovered Social Security processed the name change they’d submitted, but left the gender marker as “M.” That morning, he’d tried talking his way into a passport at a local office—hers was currently listed as “X.” James tried handing the employees his daughter’s updated Washington birth certificate, but says they had a record of the M on her previous passport.

“They have no guidance on how to issue one otherwise since X doesn’t exist anymore,” he wrote. “I think having a passport, regardless of gender is better than no passport and being stuck.”

The employees were compassionate, and heard him out even though he did not have an appointment, but there was nothing they could do but escalate his problem to their supervisor, who told him to come back with his daughter on Wednesday and submit a new application with an “M” marker. While waiting, he says he overheard employees tell a trans woman that the process had changed, and they’d mail her a passport. She flew in from Alaska, he says.

James returned with his daughter on Wednesday, they were told the legal department would have to review her application. He had to write a letter explaining their situation. “I have to go back Friday and either there will be a passport or a letter from legal denying it.”

James got neither. The passport office called Friday and explained they were still waiting for guidance, meaning his daughter's passport would remain in limbo. James cancelled the first leg of the family vacation. If things change, they’ll rebook. If they don’t, well, he isn’t so sure.

Liz’s trans son came out shortly after the family moved from Seattle to rural Washington. She joked that he should have come out when they lived someplace with resources. But they’ve managed. “Surprisingly,” she said, he’s not the only trans kid. There’s a small community of families like theirs. He’s out at school. His identity is not a secret. Anyone who knows him knows he’s trans, which didn’t stop his civics teacher from polling his class on whether broad acceptance of trans people would be very bad for society. Eighty percent of them said “very bad.”

Liz submitted a passport application for her son with an “M” marker on December 23, and arrived a week later on January 1. Liz paid for expedited service, and says the online tracker showed it would arrive in two to three weeks. Five weeks later, it still hasn’t. The tracker shows it is “in process.”

Liz thinks her son’s delayed passport has been overwhelming for him, but his main concern is missing out on a trip to Asia this spring. He doesn’t understand the gravity of the situation in the way she does.

No one around her seems to. She says it’s as if people almost expect trans people to be discriminated against. They don’t see these orders as extreme as they should.

“The thought of an American citizen being denied this and that being okay with people—not just my son, but all trans and non-binary kids and adults,” she says. “To oppress a whole group of people on a federal level. That’s what scares me.”

Guest Rant Today 9:00 AM

Amazon Tries to Buy Seattle Election, Prevent Small Tax on Million Dollar Salaries 

Because Spreading Lies Is Cheaper Than Paying Taxes 

Amazon is at it again.

In 2019, Amazon tried to buy the city council election. Their bet on right-wing candidates blew up in their faces. Now they are at it again. They just dropped $100,000 into the February special election, along with $35,000 from their puppets at the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber. The big corporate donor PAC has already forked out more than half a million dollars so that you will be duped into voting for Proposition 1B. 

Don’t be duped. Vote YES and vote 1A.

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EverOut Yesterday 3:37 PM

This Week in Seattle Food News

Smash Burgers, Bubble Waffles, and Beef Papaya Salad

This week, we're exploring a new destination for smash burgers and chopped cheese in Portage Bay and a Vietnamese restaurant in Shoreline. Plus, make your plans for Seattle Hospitality Immigration Fundraiser and Li'l Woody's Burger Month. For more ideas, check out our Valentine's Day food guide, our Super Bowl food guide, and our food and drink guide.

NEW OPENINGS & RETURNS

Green Papaya
In late January, Shoreline welcomed this new Vietnamese spot serving "fresh spring rolls, beef papaya salads, beef noodle soups (pho), bĂĄnh mĂŹ, combo rice vermicelli, and some veggie dishes."
Shoreline

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Comedy Yesterday 1:53 PM

Gender Ordeal Is a Trans Power Trio Comedy Tour 

The Gender Reveal podcast tour is a variety show featuring the star power of show-host Tuck Woodstock, cartoonist Mattie Lubchansky, and author Calvin Kasulke. 

Gender Ordeal: Gender on Wheels is a powerhouse of trans comedy talent. It's a road-version of Tuck Woodstock's Gender Reveal podcast. It's a variety show that fits "six or seven" segments into a tight 90-minute evening with the show's host, cartoonist Mattie Lubchansky, and author Calvin Kasulke.

The live show format isn't really like Woodstock's thoughtful interview podcast, though it is still aiming to "get a little bit closer to understanding what the hell gender is."

"All the segments are pretty indescribable," Woodstock says, "other than the part where I do 10 minutes of stand-up… which is like… yeah, that's what that is."

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Zheani @ The Crocodile (9/12/24), Mullets, and a Cigarette

You asked for a pic of my mullet to show your stylist and borrowed a cig. We chatted, and I lost you after we went back inside. I LOVED your vibes! <3


Bingo at Targy’s Tavern

We made small talk while getting our bingo cards. You were sweet, cute, and wearing a black hoodie. I wish we’d chatted longer!

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News Yesterday 11:13 AM

Washington Sues Over Trump Order Restricting Gender Care Under Age 19

The AG called the order unconstitutional, and called for an immediate restraining order; “This order is gross, it is hateful.”

Washington’s State Attorney General Nick Brown announced today that he has filed a multi-state lawsuit against President Donald Trump’s executive order to ban federal support of transgender medical care for people under the age of 19.

Brown, along with three doctors and the Attorneys General from Oregon and Minnesota, seek to block the federal agencies from acting on this “illegal” and “unconstitutional” order.

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EverOut Yesterday 9:30 AM

The Best Bang for Your Buck Events in Seattle This Weekend: Feb 7–9, 2025

Seattle Hospitality Immigration Fundraiser, Lunar New Year Night Market, and More Cheap & Easy Events Under $15

Super Bowl Sunday and the accompanying Kendrick Lamar (feat. SZA) concert are this weekend, but there's plenty else to do whether or not you care about the big game, from the Seattle Hospitality Immigration Fundraiser to the Lunar New Year Night Market and from Cowboy Carter - A KNTRY BeyoncÊ Dance Party to Bale Breaker and Yonder Taproom's Taylor Bowl Watch Party. For more ideas, check out our roundup of this week's top events and our February events guide.

FRIDAY

BLACK HISTORY MONTH

BE Great Celebration at Occidental Square
Celebrate Black History Month at this local fest featuring a pop-up market of Black-owned businesses curated by ARTE NOIR and performances including spoken word from the Griot Party Experience, jump rope by the Double Dutch Divas, and a Motown tribute from the Jewel Tones. Grab a candle from Noir Lux Candle Co. to maximize coziness for the rest of this winter season. SHANNON LUBETICH
(Occidental Square, Pioneer Square, free)

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Renton's minimum mistake: According to the Raise The Wage Renton campaign, the City of Renton calculated the 2025 minimum wage incorrectly. Renton billed the new wage at $20.90 per hour, using a 3% increase from 2024's wage. Turns out, they used the wrong percentage because they weren't calculating the increase on the correct growth rate. They needed to boost the wage by 4%. With this change, Renton minimum wage workers would make $21.10 per hour.

Light rail strikes man in wheel chair: The light rail struck a 67-year-old man in a wheel chair while he crossed the rails between Othello and Columbia City stations. He is in serious condition. As King County Councilmember Girmay Zahilay said in a tweet, "the vast majority of pedestrian and vehicle collisions in the Sound Transit system occur in South Seattle." The only parts of the light rail system are at-grade (directly on street level) are in South Seattle. An at-grade system increases the risk for collisions, be it with cars or pedestrians. 

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Love and Sex Issue 2025 Yesterday 4:00 AM

Where to Pickup a Copy of Our February 2025 Issue

Our Love & Sex Issue Is Available at Hundreds of Places Around the Puget Sound

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News Thu 4:30 PM

The Call Is Coming from Outside the House

Contribution Records Show Most of the Money Funding Prop 1B Isn’t Even from Seattle

Who wants to crush a big business tax in Seattle? Turns out, it’s not Seattleites. 

Next Tuesday, Seattle voters will finish voting on Proposition 1, our first shot at a social housing model. The original proposition—1A on your ballot—proposes a tax on businesses whose employees take home more than $1 million a year. That tax would fund the Seattle Social Housing Developer, which would acquire and build housing that would reliably serve Seattleites who make anywhere from 0 to 120 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI), while guaranteeing that everyone’s rent is 30 percent of their income. (We like this idea and think you should vote for it.)

Unsurprisingly, the Seattle Chamber of Commerce isn’t stoked on a new tax on businesses and raised a campaign against it—1B on your ballot—which would attempt to pull from Jumpstart funds (which are already earmarked for entirely different types of low-income housing) and undermines the funding model that makes this social housing so unique. 

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In this week’s batch of ticket drops, The Weeknd has extended his three-years-running After Hours Til Dawn Tour, adding a summer date at Lumen Field. Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan are bringing their Outlaw Music Festival back to the Gorge this summer with Billy Strings, Lake Street Dive, Sierra Hull, and Lily Meola. Plus, Irish singer-songwriter Hozier's Unreal Unearth tour comes to Seattle this August. Read on for details on those and other newly announced events, plus some news you can use.

ON SALE FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7

MUSIC

Amigo The Devil
The Crocodile (Sun June 1)

anees - Homesick Tour 2025
Showbox SoDo (Wed May 7)

Black Country, New Road
Moore Theatre (Sat May 24)

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News Thu 1:15 PM

The Comp Plan Committee Public Comment Hearing Was a Warzone

NIMBYs, YIMBYs, and Everything in Between as Seattle’s Housing Saga Unfolds

At 4 p.m. yesterday, advocates for increased housing density gathered at City Hall to attend a pre-public comment rally organized by the Housing Development Consortium (HDC). By the time this eternally tardy journalist arrived, at 4:15 p.m., they dispersed, hastily queuing up inside to sign up for public comment in front of the city’s Select Committee on the Comprehensive Plan, which began at 5 p.m. 

City Hall security had wisely cordoned off chambers, directing attendees to line up in the main lobby level, rather than allowing a crowd to crush in. I say wisely because the line sprawled out from a large, zigzag queue at the bottom of the grand staircase to chambers, winding around to the coffee stand, back to the information desk, and down the long east hallway to nowhere.

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EverOut Thu 10:00 AM

Celebrate Valentine's Day 2025 at These Lovely Seattle Events

Date Nights, Dance Parties, and More

Whether you’re celebrating romantic, platonic, or familial love this Valentine’s Day this year, we’ve got notes on where to grab gifts for your sweetie, where to have a spicy date night, and more. If nothing here strikes your fancy, check out our guide to restaurants offering Valentine's Day menus and specials, or check out our complete Valentine's Day guide to browse all the options for yourself.

Big Hearted // Artists and Makers Market
Nothing quite says "I love you" like trying on oversized vintage jackets and complimenting each other. The Georgetown Trailer Park Mall is celebrating love for your friends, foes, and local crafters every weekend in February with the theme "Big Hearted." Pick out the perfect gift for your special someone(s), and don't forget to stop by Shotgun Ceremonies if you're looking to get hitched in what might be the only shipping container wedding chapel in the country. SHANNON LUBETICH
Georgetown Trailer Park Mall, Georgetown (Various dates between Feb 8–23)

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To the person whose car I hit today.

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