Hunter Schafer Calls Out Trump Administration After Passport Gender Change
In a video shared to her TikTok account this Friday, actress and model Hunter Schafer revealed a shocking and deeply personal reality check—her new U.S. passport now labels her gender as “male.” This change, which Schafer attributes to President Trump’s recent executive order regarding gender identity, has serious implications for trans people across the country.
We want to clarify that, at the time of writing, the video is no longer available on Schafer’s TikTok account. It’s unclear whether she removed it herself or if it was taken down by the platform. However, given TikTok’s recent history of censoring content critical of Trump’s administration—especially since the app’s temporary 14-hour ban in the U.S. on January 19th—we lean toward the latter.
In the now-unavailable video, the Euphoria actress candidly explained that despite having her gender marker legally recognized as “female” on her identification documents since her teens, her new passport arrived with “male” printed on it. The moment forced her to confront the real-life consequences of the administration’s anti-trans policies.
Schafer described her reaction, saying, “So my initial reaction to this, because our president, you know, is a lot of talk, was like, ‘I’ll believe it when I see it.’ And today, I saw it on my new passport mail.”
She went on to explain how the change came about. After losing her passport while filming in Barcelona, she applied for a renewal in Los Angeles, following the same process as always. Yet, despite filling out all the necessary paperwork correctly, the government had changed her gender marker. “I do believe it is a direct result of the administration our country is currently operating under, and I guess I’m just scared of the way this stuff slowly gets implemented. Because things just start happening, as we’ve seen in historical rises of fascism and everything that this new administration kind of represents.”
Schafer acknowledged her privilege as a well-known, white, passing trans woman, but she emphasized that this is happening to all trans people, regardless of their status or visibility. “No one, no matter their circumstance, no matter how wealthy or white or pretty or whatever, is excluded. This is real.”
She also pointed out the potential dangers this change brings, particularly when traveling internationally. “Personally, I think—I mean, I haven’t tested it out yet, but I’ll find out next week when I have to travel abroad for the first time with my new passport—that I’m pretty sure it’s going to come along with having to out myself to Border Patrol agents and that whole gig much more often than I would like or is really necessary.”
And despite the fear and frustration, Schafer ended her message with a powerful reminder: “I don’t give a fuck that they put an M on my passport. It doesn’t change really anything about me or my transness… A letter and a passport can’t change that. And fuck this administration.”
The implications of this executive order are chilling. Forcing trans people to carry identification that misgenders them is more than an inconvenience—it’s a risk to their safety. As Schafer mentioned, international travel will now expose trans individuals to greater scrutiny and potential danger in countries where being trans is criminalized or stigmatized. Even within the U.S., this rollback of rights makes life more difficult for trans people trying to navigate bureaucratic systems that should protect them, not erase them.
It’s devastating to watch the United States regress into a place where basic rights are being stripped away. The Trump administration’s attack on trans identities is not just symbolic; it has tangible, harmful effects that make everyday life harder and more dangerous for our community. But we won’t stand by and let it go unchallenged.
To our trans readers in the U.S. who are feeling unsafe right now: we see you, we stand with you, and we will fight alongside you. Your identity is yours, and no government, no law, and certainly no passport can take that away. You matter. You are important. And you are never alone.
You can watch Schafer’s full video in the post below.
Follow us on X and Instagram for all queer stuff!
Featured Image: Via Hunter Schafer TikTok Account. Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/Getty Images
