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Trans activist demands action on U.S. travel rules for Canadians

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Fae Johnstone, a prominent trans activist from Ottawa, is calling on the federal government to update its travel guidance for LGBTQ+ people traveling to the United States following an executive order from the new president. The order prevents trans people from using washrooms and facilities that match their gender identity, withholds taxpayer funds from being used for gender-affirming healthcare, and requires government-issued identification to reflect the sex the person was assigned at birth, including passports.

In the U.S., like in Canada, gender-non-conforming people had the option to put an “X” for their gender on a passport. While it seems passports already issued with an “X” in the United States are still valid, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly ordered a pause on passport applications with an “X.” It’s unclear where the United States stands on Canadians with an “X” entering the country.

CHCH News also reached out to the U.S. State Department for clarification on how Canadians will be impacted but was referred back to the executive order, which doesn’t mention people traveling to the U.S.