"Federal Judge Considers Expanding Injunction on Passport Gender Markers for Transgender and Nonbinary Individuals"
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"Federal Judge Considers Expanding Injunction on Passport Gender Markers for Transgender and Nonbinary Individuals"
[!CDATA[A federal judge is considering expanding a preliminary injunction that partially blocked the Trump administration's policy banning the use of "X" markers on passports for nonbinary individuals. The ACLU has requested the court to extend the injunction to include other transgender and nonbinary individuals affected by the policy. The State Department stopped issuing travel documents with the "X" gender marker and prevented gender changes on passports following an executive order by President Trump. The ACLU filed a lawsuit on behalf of transgender plaintiffs, leading to a preliminary injunction granted by U.S. District Judge Julia Kobick in April. The injunction allowed six plaintiffs to obtain passports reflecting their gender identity but did not apply to other transgender individuals. The ACLU later filed a motion to certify two classes of people affected by the policy and extend the injunction to them. Government lawyers opposed the motion, arguing against the evidence of irreparable harm and potential confusion in policy. The ACLU emphasized the importance of individuals being able to travel safely and be true to their identities. A hearing on the motion for class certification and extending the preliminary injunction is scheduled for May 27. The ACLU continues to advocate for the rights of transgender and nonbinary individuals affected by the passport policy, aiming to ensure that everyone can live and travel authentically and securely.]]