'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Transgender actress Hunter Schafer known for her role as Jules Vaughn in HBO's Euphoria discovered that her recently obtained passport contains the incorrect s*x designation as male.
According to Schafer the change in passport documentation occurred because US President Donald Trump enforced an executive order that mandates all official documents to use birth-generated s*x information instead of gender identification.
The actress shared her experience in an eight-minute-long TikTok story on February 21, expressing her shock and concern over the implications of the policy. She shared:
"It doesn’t change really anything about me or my transness, however, it does make life a little harder."
Hunter Schafer speaks out against the policy change
On January 20, 2025, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled "Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government." This directive requires federal agencies, including the Bureau of Consular Affairs, to recognize only two s*xes—male and female—based on a person's birth-assigned s*x.
The State Department put an end to passport issuance through the "X" gender marker option preferred by those who identify neither as a male nor female. The department also removed the option for gender marker changes on current passports.
Passport applications that sought gender marker changes were put on hold, and individuals who had already updated their passports saw those changes overridden. Schafer's case is one of many affected by the policy, which has been met with backlash from LGBTQ+ advocacy groups.
Hunter Schafer posted a video on TikTok detailing her experience after renewing her stolen passport. Despite selecting "female" on her application, her new passport arrived with "male" listed as her s*x. She emphasized that all of her previous government-issued documents, including driver’s licenses and past passports, had identified her as female.
"I’m not making this post to fear-monger, or to create drama, or receive consolation, I don’t need it. But I do think it’s worth posting to sort of note the reality of the situation and that it’s happening," Schafer stated. "I was shocked. I just didn’t think it was actually going to happen."
Acknowledging her privilege as a white transgender celebrity, Hunter Schafer highlighted that even she was not exempt from the policy’s reach. While she dismissed the personal significance of the incorrect gender marker, she acknowledged that it would complicate her life.
Hunter Schafer expressed concerns about the practical challenges of traveling with a passport that misrepresents her gender identity.
"I’m pretty sure it’s gonna come along with having to out myself to border patrol agents… much more often than I would like to or is really necessary," she shared.
According to AP News, the executive order signed by Trump has prompted multiple legal challenges. On February 21, 2025, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) submitted a discrimination lawsuit at the federal court based in Boston against the order addressing transgender and nonbinary persons.
The legal suit asserts that the policy violates constitutional rights to equal protection and freedom of expression as well as the privacy rights of its citizens.
In addition to regulations about passports, the Trump administration has initiated several other policies that impact transgender people.
The executive orders prohibit transgender people from serving openly in the military and restrict access to gender-affirming care for trans people who are younger than 19. Similar orders mandate that trans-females stay in male prison facilities. It also bans transwomen from women's sports.
Hunter Schafer is currently reprising her role as Jules Vaughn in the third season of Euphoria, set to premiere in 2026. Beyond Euphoria, she has notable projects lined up, including roles in the film Mother Mary, as well as the upcoming series Blade Runner 2099.
