The Legal Aid Society condemns a ruling by the Supreme Court of the United States that allows the Trump Administration to enforce a discriminatory passport policy against transgender, gender non-conforming, non-binary, and intersex (TGNCNBI) people.

The ruling creates serious practical problems for TGNCNBI people whose state-issued identification accurately reflects their gender but whose federal passport will now conflict with it — a discrepancy that can cause confusion, denial of services, and safety risks when traveling or verifying identity.

“This ruling is a serious setback for the freedom of TGNCNBI people to live authentically, and it represents a troubling continuation of the Trump Administration’s efforts to roll back the constitutional principles that protect us all,” reads a statement from Legal Aid.  “Forcing transgender people to carry passports that misrepresent who they are exposes them to
discrimination and danger, denying them the dignity of being recognized for who they truly are.”

“It sends a painful message that their identities are matters of political controversy rather than expressions of fundamental human dignity,” the statement continues. “The attempted erasure of transgender identity exposes us all to the kinds of scrutiny that erode the very fabric of our constitutional rights and the ability to exist freely in our bodies as our most authentic selves.”