By Gray Moloy

Maxwell Beckett was a student at Wilfrid Laurier University in 2019 when the federal government first allowed Canadians to list the letter ‘X’ as the sex designation on passports—instead of just an ‘M’ or ‘F.’ Beckett, who is non-binary, was thrilled. 

For them, the ‘X’ signified the government’s acknowledgement of identities outside the gender binary. Despite being indifferent to the government’s perception of their identity, the ability to choose the marker was “a very validating thing,” they say.

Last year, however, the U.S. halted issuing the ‘X’ marker via an executive order on the first day of president Donald Trump’s second term. Since then, a friend of Beckett’s who lives in the U.S. has had their marker changed to something they don’t identify with.

“My first reaction was, in many ways, grief,” they say.

The decision’s consequences haven’t remained south of the border either. Trans and non-binary Canadians are feeling the blowback too.

NEXUS, a pre-approved traveler card designed to make U.S.-Canada travel easier for citizens of either country, was also amended as part of the order. As of August 2025, Canadians can no longer apply or renew a NEXUS card with an ‘X’ marker, according to the Canadian Border Services Agency in a statement to the CBC. 

The Canadian Department of Global Affairs has also issued an advisory for Canadians with ‘X’ markers on their travel documents entering the U.S. 

“Federal systems in the U.S. are changing to no longer accept markers of gender identity. Sex assigned at birth may now be requested by federal forms and processes,” according to the Canadian federal government website.

Beckett says they understood changing their marker to ‘X’ may come with consequences, that there may be countries they’d no longer be able to visit, but they never considered it would be so widespread.

“It was this era of hope where it felt like so much change was happening in the positive,” they say. They never expected it to change this fast.

Nikki*, a third-year urban and regional planning and LGBTQ2S+ studies student at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), feels disappointment in the Canadian government for removing the option of ‘X’ on NEXUS cards.

“It’s partially run by the Canadian government and they just conceded and went, ‘no, we can just do what the U.S. wants us to do,’” she says.

Nikki, who is Transgender, has yet to make changes to her government documents. Though at one point she considered choosing the ‘X’, she says it’s now more likely she’ll choose an ‘F’ to avoid any future complications. She worries the change south of the border could make its way to Canada, possibly losing the option to choose ‘X’ altogether.

El-Farouk Khaki is an immigration and refugee lawyer based in Toronto.

Khaki‘s practice has represented 2SLGBTQ+ people fleeing persecution for their sexual orientation, gender identity or both. As well as those facing persecution because of their HIV status and women fleeing gender-based violence.

Khaki says for many, a fear of crossing the border is in no way a new concern, but rather something that’s always been present in racialized communities. 

“It’s a white privilege to think that borders are just checkpoints or just gateways,” he says. 

Crossing the border for racialized people is rarely a comfortable experience, says Khaki. “It’s not a privilege that racialized folks take for granted.”

He points to the discrimination Muslims, racialized communities as well as Queer and Trans people are already fearing at the border. These communities have been left fearful of leaving the country or having their passports taken away. 

“I can’t imagine why white Canadian folks with ‘X’ markers on their passports would want to cross,” says Khaki.

The choice to not cross is not always easy, given family or other obligations. 

Entering the U.S. if you are a part of a marginalized community is not a safe option, says Khaki. Especially considering the discrimination even white American-born citizens are now facing across the U.S., he explains.

An estimated 3,600 Canadians have ‘X’ listed as the sex marker on their passport, according to the Canadian government in January 2025.

Given the travel advisory, Khaki says Canadians should be well-informed about the risks of travelling to the U.S. at this time. 

“People have to decide for themselves and as to what risks they’re willing to take and what risks are acceptable and what risks are not,” he says.

Michaela* is a student at an Ontario university expecting to graduate this spring. She’s a Trans woman and is planning to attend a graduate program with the goal of becoming a researcher in Trans media studies.

For her, moving to the U.S. feels like a necessity if she wants to pursue this field. Not only for the choice of a school, but she says the academic community that surrounds it is much larger in the U.S.

Michaela considered applying for an ‘X’ marker but ultimately made the decision to apply for an ‘F’ instead.

“I’ve travelled internationally once since getting it, there was a lot of anxiety going through the airport,” she says.

For Michaela, changing the name on her identification (ID) was a more important step than changing her gender marker, but nevertheless it brought her comfort when navigating the world, especially when going to places where she may be ID’d. 

“Having a piece of ID on me that verifies that I am what I say I am does come with a level of comfort…it feels affirming,” she says.

Michaela says she understands the risks that would come with pursuing academia in the U.S.

She believes she wouldn’t be able to leisurely cross the border as it would pose a risk to her safety. “If I did go to school in the U.S., I would be stuck there pretty much,” she says.

Andrea Houston is a journalist and 2SLGBTQ+ advocate based in Toronto. She’s also a contract lecturer at TMU, where she teaches a course on Queer Media. 

“There’s way more involved than just that one piece of legislation. I think it’s really easy, also to lose sight of history,” she says.

To Houston, the state of affairs surrounding Queer people in the U.S. parallels that of Germany during the interwar period.

During this time, famed sexologist Magnus Hirschfeld performed some of the first recorded gender transitions in human history. During that period he faced backlash and was later targeted by the Nazi government for his outspoken advocacy for sexual minorities—and for being Jewish and gay. 

Houston says the kind backlash Hirschfeld faced—before the Second
World War broke out—is similar to what Queer people are facing in the U.S.

“I mean, you could draw a straight line, frankly, in many ways, from that era to now,” she says.

As of this year, 648 active anti-Trans bills are being considered by U.S. lawmakers, according to watchdog site Trans Legislation Tracker. This legislation is causing many to feel frustrated, isolated or stuck. 

Houston worries these changes will cause Queer people to be less outward in their identities.

“People will retreat into the proverbial closet, whether that is not being outwardly and proudly existing as Trans. And that includes the marker on your passport and your identity document but also how you live your life, how you publicly present to the world,” she says.

As uncertainty grows in both the U.S. and Canada, Khaki says it’s important to understand the risks when travelling and crossing the border, especially for racialized Queer and Trans folk, who face a heightened risk. 

Khaki advises everyone to be aware of the current state of surveillance by the government through technology, social media and the internet. 

“There is an ongoing limitation of freedom of speech and freedom of association that has become evident,” says Khaki.

“It’s going to continue and most likely increase over the next while, that’s going to affect all of our communities.” 

Those with marginalized identities will continue to face discrimination when crossing the border with no expectation of change.

Beckett has made the decision to no longer travel to the U.S.—but for them, this hasn’t been easy.

Beckett is married to a U.S. citizen who lives with them in Canada. But due to the U.S.’s restriction on travel for those with the ‘X,’ they’ve been unable to travel to visit their wife’s family. 

When Beckett last crossed the U.S. border in April of 2025, they knew it would be their last time in the country for a while.

Before the election, Beckett and their wife were making plans to host a family get-together in the U.S. for members of their wife’s family who are unable to travel. They were hoping to celebrate their wedding with any family that wasn’t able to attend their Canadian ceremony. “That is no longer on the table,” says Beckett. 

Avoiding the U.S. because of safety concerns is becoming a common reality for marginalized communities. Unfortunately, this impact will be felt most deeply within families, friends and future possibilities. 

Over the holidays, Beckett was unable to join their wife’s family in the U.S. for Christmas. With uncertainty of what could potentially happen at the border if they did attempt to cross, Beckett spent the holidays alone while their wife visited family in the U.S.

As more uncertainty grows at the border, many like Beckett are up against an ultimatum: stay in the country, or travel and face the danger it may bring.

*These sources have requested to remain anonymous for privacy reasons. The Eye has verified these sources.