Since assuming office, US President Donald Trump has enacted a policy recognizing only two sexes and has instructed the US Health Department to provide clarity on definitions related to sex. The new official guidelines characterize sex as an unchangeable biological characteristic and asserts that individuals must be categorized exclusively as either male or female.
In light of the recent changes, Germany, Denmark, and Finland have issued a warning for their transgender and nonbinary citizens and residents who are planning to travel to the United States.
Denmark’s Foreign Ministry posted an note on it’s official US travel webpage recommending Danish transgender travelers to reach out to the US embassy in Copenhagen prior to their journey.
“If your passport indicates the gender designation X or if you have undergone a gender change, it is advisable to contact the US embassy before traveling for instructions on the necessary steps to take,” the note states.
Denmark’s travel advisory appeared approximately one week after Finland released a similar warning. Although it does not directly mention Trump’s executive order, the advisory indicates that applicants for a visa or Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) must choose between two gender options: male or female.
Meanwhile, the German Federal Foreign Office, in its revised travel guidance, also cautioned that US visa and ESTA applications necessitate the selection of either “male” or “female.”
German officials also recommend individuals who identify as X or whose gender differs from the sex assigned to them at birth to consult American authorities regarding entry requirements prior to their travel.
European states’ advisories were issued following the US State Department’s decision to halt a policy that permitted transgender, nonbinary, and intersex individuals to modify the sex designations on their passports. Previously, US passport holders had the option to self-identify their gender, including the choice of the letter X to indicate an unspecified gender.
For several years, the United States has shifted away from conventional gender identity norms, exemplified by the substitution of ‘mother’ and ‘father’ with ‘parent one’ and ‘parent two.’ Additionally, under the previous administration, there have been advancements in safeguarding transgender rights and implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
In contrast, since taking office, President Trump has reversed protections for transgender rights and discontinued federal assistance for medical procedures related to sex reassignment for minors, citing the need to shield them from what he termed “chemical and surgical mutilations.”
Through a series of executive orders, Trump prohibited “radical gender ideology” within the military and restricted transgender women from participating in women’s sports. Transgender athletes may also be prevented from competing in major events hosted in the United States, such as the 2028 Olympics and the World Cup.