SANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP) 鈥� Hunter Schafer says 鈥渋t's important to just keep track of where things are in our country,鈥� a day after posted a video in which she revealed her new passport had been issued with a male gender marker.
Speaking to The Associated Press on the red carpet on Saturday, the 26-year-old actor, who is trans, said she felt 鈥渋t was a good, necessary point鈥� to share. Schafer, also a presenter at the award show, was nominated for 鈥�
President Donald Trump on his first day in office instituting a new and narrow federal government definition of the sexes. As part of the order, the federal government defines sex as only male or female and says that must be reflected on The State Department, responsible for passports, with the 鈥淴鈥� marker that鈥檚 been available since 2021 and is not honoring requests to change gender markers between 鈥淢鈥� and 鈥淔.鈥�
In an 8 1/2-minute video on Friday, Schafer, who transitioned as a young teen, said the passport that was meant to carry her well into her 30s was stolen while she was filming in Spain. After receiving an emergency passport, she later had to apply for a new, permanent one in Los Angeles. Having had female gender markers on her license and passport Schafer marked 鈥渇emale鈥� on her application 鈥� but received a passport that identified her as male, she said. In the video, she said she had not had her birth certificate amended.
Schafer acknowledged the executive order in her TikTok video: 鈥淏ecause our president, you know, is a lot of talk, I was like, 鈥業鈥檒l believe it when I see it.鈥� And, today, I saw it,鈥� Schafer said, holding up her new passport page with the 鈥淢鈥� marker. She said she was making the video not to 鈥渇earmonger or like create drama or receive consolation,鈥� but to note the reality of the situation.
鈥淚 wasn't even really looking for support, but I have an amazing community around me and it's one of the greatest blessings of my life and so I felt very supported throughout, before and then now,鈥� she told the AP on Saturday.
The State Department said in response to a request for comment that it was implementing Trump鈥檚 executive order but declined to comment on specific cases, citing privacy laws and restrictions.
鈥淚t doesn't really change anything about me or my transness. However, it does make my life a little harder,鈥� Schafer said in the video, saying she has to travel for the first time with the new passport next week.
鈥淭rans people are beautiful. We are never going to stop existing. I'm never going to stop being trans. A letter and a passport can't change that,鈥� she concluded.
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Associated Press journalist Andrew Dalton contributed reporting.
Krysta Fauria, The Associated Press
