TORONTO: Canada has updated its travel advisory for the United States this week with a specific warning for travellers holding passports marked with an “X” gender identifier.
The new advisory explicitly states that while Canada issues such passports, it cannot guarantee entry or transit through other countries.
Travellers with X gender markers may still be required to provide sex or gender information as either male or female when crossing borders.
Canada is among several nations permitting citizens who identify as neither female nor male to use an X instead of F or M on official documents.
United States Customs and Border Protection responded by stating foreign travellers’ passport gender markers do not render them inadmissible.
The United States itself began issuing passports with an X gender identifier under President Joe Biden’s administration.
Former President Donald Trump had issued an executive order in January recognising only two biological sexes on government identification.
A federal judge subsequently barred the US State Department from enforcing Trump’s ban on passports reflecting transgender and nonbinary identities.
The Trump administration has appealed this decision to the Supreme Court for final judgement.
Reuters had previously reported in July that Canada drafted a similar warning but had not published it at that time.
Global Affairs Canada did not immediately explain why it decided to issue this specific travel advisory now.
A spokesperson confirmed in July that no Canadian had been denied US entry due to an X gender passport marker. – Reuters