Since the campaign trail, President Donald Trump vowed to gut transgender lunacy from everyday American life.
When former President Joe Biden was in office, he worked towards policies that would allow people who believe they are transgender to access facilities that align with their “gender identity” instead of their biological sex and to obtain documents with their preferred gender listed.
On day No. 1 in office, Trump said enough is enough.
Specifically, Trump signed an executive order on Inauguration Day that directed the State Department to no longer issue US passports with anything other than the “male” or “female” designation. This was a reversal of a Biden-era “inclusive” passport policy.
Under former President Joe Biden, individuals could self-select their gender and choose the gender that they “aligned” with rather than their biological sex.
This week, U.S. District Judge Julia Kobick blocked Trump’s policy.
According to CBS, Kobick ruled that any person who needs to renew their passport because it expires within one year, apply for a new passport, or change their name or sex designation may choose the gender that they identify with rather than their biological sex.
Additionally, applicants can also still select "X" on a passport application form, which allows them to opt-out from choosing a sex altogether. This option would apply to those who believe they are “non-binary.”
Kobick’s ruling expanded an earlier decision that applied only to the original plaintiffs (via CBS News):
In February, a group of transgender and nonbinary plaintiffs backed by the American Civil Liberties Union sued the Trump administration over the policy, claiming the executive order was discriminatory against them.
In April, Kobick ruled that the Trump administration failed to provide a rationale for the new passport policy "related to an important governmental interest" and found that the policy discriminated against transgender Americans.
"Viewed as a whole, the language of the Executive Order is candid in its rejection of the identity of an entire group—transgender Americans—who have always existed and have long been recognized in, among other fields, law and the medical profession," Kobick wrote in her April decision. The judge reaffirmed Tuesday that the plaintiffs are likely to succeed on the merits of their case.
In ruling that the govt has to do “gender identity passports,” the second most offensive thing (minus the District Judge as King issue) is the idea that calling someone their sex is a crisis. Like age and weight, it may not be super fun, but it’s still a fact. pic.twitter.com/C5JGKVRHtR
— May Mailman (@MayMailman) June 17, 2025
In a statement, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly called Kobick’s ruling "yet another attempt by a rogue judge to thwart President Trump's agenda and push radical gender ideology that defies biological truth."
"There are only two genders, there is no such thing as gender 'X', and the President was given a mandate by the American people to restore common sense to the federal government," Kelly told the outlet.
