The travel industry is sounding alarm bells as the Trump administration’s recent decision to eliminate gender-neutral and gender-affirming passport options ripples through the LGBTQ+ community and beyond. With a policy that mandates U.S. passports must now reflect the gender assigned at birth reversing decades of progress travelers who identify as transgender, nonbinary, or intersex are now grappling with more than just itineraries and luggage. The change has sparked fear, disrupted travel plans, and drawn international attention to what advocates describe as a significant setback in civil rights and global mobility.
Implemented via executive order shortly after Trump retook office in January, the directive instructed federal agencies to recognize only two genders male and female based strictly on birth assignment. The State Department followed suit, halting the practice of allowing passport applicants to amend the gender marker on their documents and scrapping the “X” gender designation introduced under the Biden administration. For many in the LGBTQ+ community, particularly transgender and nonbinary individuals, the change isn’t just administrative it’s deeply personal, and potentially dangerous.
The American Civil Liberties Union has taken the policy to court, filing a lawsuit in February on behalf of seven individuals affected by the directive. Arli Christian, senior policy counsel at the ACLU, emphasized that the policy infringes on the fundamental right to travel and poses real risks of harassment and discrimination. According to the lawsuit, mismatched gender markers can lead to invasive questioning, denial of service, and even endangerment at security checkpoints.
Travel professionals who cater to LGBTQ+ clients are witnessing the consequences firsthand. Duncan Greenfield-Turk, a U.K.-based travel designer with a predominantly U.S. clientele, noted a drop in interest from transgender travelers considering trips to the U.S. The reasons are both emotional and pragmatic: uncertainty about border treatment, legal ambiguity, and the looming threat of being denied entry or questioned at length. “They’re nervous,” Greenfield-Turk said. “The U.S. is not considered a safe place for transgender people.”
Even outside the direct impact on transgender travelers, the ripple effects are being felt. John Tanzella, CEO of the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association, reported that international travelers particularly from countries with strong LGBTQ+ protections are now choosing alternative destinations over the U.S. Warnings from governments in Denmark, Finland, and Germany have compounded concerns, with travelers being advised that they may face complications entering the U.S. if their passports do not reflect the gender assigned at birth.
This erosion of confidence among LGBTQ+ travelers could have major financial implications. The global LGBTQ+ tourism market, valued at over half a trillion dollars and growing, has long been a robust segment of the U.S. travel economy. With major cities like New York, San Francisco, and Miami benefiting from this influx, any downturn in international visitors from this demographic could be felt deeply across hospitality, retail, and entertainment sectors.
Advocates worry that while the immediate impact may seem limited to a specific group, the precedent being set is more far-reaching. “They’re taking away the ability to freely travel for this small subset of folks. Who’s next?” Christian asked, warning that curtailing rights for one group often precedes broader erosions of civil liberties.
Meanwhile, the administration has defended the policy as a measure to protect “women’s spaces” from individuals self-identifying as another gender, a claim that critics argue is both discriminatory and unfounded. As legal battles unfold and international relations grow strained over the issue, travel advisors are left in limbo unable to offer clear guidance and watching as their clients opt for destinations with clearer, safer policies for LGBTQ+ individuals.
The U.S., once seen as a beacon for LGBTQ+ inclusivity in travel, now faces an uncertain position on the global stage. As one of the most lucrative travel markets in the world considers its next move, the choices made now could shape the future of American tourism for years to come.
