The Passport Puzzle: Why Gender Matters More Than It Should

At an airport in Tel Aviv, a person with a U. S. passport faced a question about their gender. The passport had an "X" marking, which stood for neither male nor female. The border officers were confused. They asked questions, but the person refused to explain. This was a big moment for them. All their life, people had questioned their gender. Now, with this passport, they didn't have to explain anymore. The passport is a powerful document. It helps people travel and proves who they are. But it also does something else. It can enforce rules about gender and other things. In some countries, like the Soviet Union, people could change their gender on official documents. But they couldn't change other things, like their ethnicity. This shows that these documents are not just about identity. They are also about control. In the United States, passports used to have gender markers. This was because people's appearances were changing. It was harder to tell if someone was male or female. So, the government added gender markers to passports. Over time, it became easier for people to change these markers. The Biden administration even added an "X" option. But then, the Trump administration tried to take this away. They said people should only have the gender they were born with on their passports. A court stopped this change. But then, the Supreme Court allowed it to happen. They said that the passport should show a historical fact, like a person's country of birth. But this ignores the real issue. The issue is not about facts. It is about power. The government is using passports to enforce a certain view of gender. This can be dangerous for people who don't fit into this view. For example, a friend of the person in the story has to hide their true self when they travel. They have to dress like the opposite gender to match their passport. This is not just uncomfortable. It can be dangerous. In some countries, people can be harmed or even killed for not fitting into the right gender role. The Supreme Court's decision makes this worse. It is not about facts. It is about control.