Elijah Nicholas doesn’t have to worry about his American passport yet. The document is valid until 2030. But how things will go on is uncertain for the Transmann.
According to the current status, the 55-year-old would then no longer receive a passport in which his gender is designated as male. Because in the United States, only passports are issued with a gender entrance that matches the gender assigned at birth.
A third gender option in addition to male and female is no longer available there. The US State Department announced this a few months ago-and thus implemented an order from US President Donald Trump, who was one of his first official acts.
This would be “delegitimized” transpens and non-binary persons, criticizes Nicholas. The change also means a security risk for you if you traveled from one country to another and did not know what to do. Trans people do not belong to the gender that was attributed to them at birth. Non-binary people do not classify themselves or only partially in the categories of women or men.
Researcher: The order deletes gender identity
“This arrangement essentially deletes its own gender identity,” says Sharon Horne. At the University of Massachusetts Boston, she researches the mental health of LGBTQI+. The English abbreviation stands for lesbians, gays, bisexuals, trans people, queer and intersex people – and the plus sign is a placeholder for other identities and genders.
According to Horne, the risk of transpersonen, for example when passing limits to be targeted, discriminated against or threatened, increases due to the new regulation. It also warns of the costs of mental health of those affected that are unforeseeable.
Possible effects on mental health
A study that appeared in the journal “The Lancet Public Health” in 2020 examined the connection between the gender stated in the identification and mental health of adults and non-binary persons in the United States. Heavy psychological stress and suicidal thoughts and plans are less common among people whose identity documents reflect their preferred name and gender entrance than among people who are not the case.
However, the new regulation on official documents is only an example of the procedure of the US government against trans people. Another is their exclusion from the US military, which the US Department of Defense is currently driving forward. In February, Trump also signed a decree that should exclude trans people from women’s sports, especially at public schools and universities. States that do not adhere to it threatens the president with the withdrawal of federal funds.
If there is political pressure to limit your rights, LGBTQI+people report more about depression and fears. This applies especially to those groups that would be particularly affected by the measures – such as transpersons.
World Pride in times of fear and uncertainty
Many LGBTQI+people lived in the United States in a “space of fear and uncertainty,” says Nicholas. A climate that the US capital presents a special challenge this year: she is a host of the World Pride Festival and at the same time celebrates the 50th anniversary of the first Pride event in Washington.
There have therefore been many rainbow symbols in the city since mid -May: they hang on lanterns and shop windows as flags, as street painting next to zebra crossings and cycle paths and decorate many outdoor areas as garlands. But what does it mean to celebrate pride in these times?
“It means resistance,” says Nicholas, without thinking long. This year two things would happen at the same time: on the one hand celebrating and on the other hand the resistance and ensuring that “we have a place that we get the same rights”.
Festival reached the climax and degree at this weekend
Nicholas actually lives in the US state of Georgia, he is an actor, author and trans activist. He is currently in Washington because he co -organized the national march for the visibility of transpersonen. The partner event of the World Pride takes place on the last day of the festival this Sunday. A day after the colorful World Pride Parade, which runs through busy streets of the capital this Saturday.
“Security is our top priority when marching,” emphasizes Nicholas. In cooperation with Worldpride, his team is carefully working on ensuring them.
First there should be your own rally. The Transmann expects several thousand people from all over the country. Then a central final event of the World Pride is to be run together, a large freedom march on the National Mall.
With the start of the Lincoln Memorial, the one of the White House should lead to the Capitol. Nicholas’ expectation of it is as urgent as it is existent: “Washington, DC, and the world show that trans people cannot and will not wipe out.”
