The Canadian government has issued a caution to citizens who select “X” as their gender on their passports, warning of potential entry issues into the United States. The Department of Global Affairs recently updated its travel advice page for 2SLGBTQ+ Canadian passport holders to include this advisory.
While Canada permits the use of an ‘X’ gender identifier on passports, the government cannot ensure smooth entry or transit through countries that do not recognize this identifier. Travelers may still be required to provide their sex/gender information as male or female when traveling.
This development follows U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive order that mandates the recognition of only two sexes – male and female. The order also instructs all U.S. federal government documents to refer to “sex” instead of “gender.” The administration is currently in litigation seeking to overturn a court order that blocked the enforcement of Trump’s policy restricting the issuance of U.S. passports recognizing genders other than male and female.
As of January, an estimated 3,600 Canadian citizens have designated “X” as their gender on passports, an option available since 2019. When questioned about the timing of the warning’s addition post-Trump’s executive order, officials from the Department of Global Affairs and Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand’s office did not respond.
Jennifer Young, a spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy in Canada, cited the current U.S. government shutdown as the reason for the embassy’s inability to comment on the change. This move is part of Global Affairs’ efforts to enhance warnings regarding travel to the U.S., following updates to the travel advisory in response to anti-2SLGBTQ+ laws adopted by several U.S. states.
Moreover, the Canadian government’s travel advisory was recently updated to caution travelers about potential increased scrutiny when 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 be able to select X as their gender marker.