Euphoria Star Hunter Schafer Shocked as New Passport Lists Her as Male

Hunter Schafer, a well-known actress and transgender woman who stars in HBO’s hit series Euphoria, recently revealed that her new U.S. passport incorrectly lists her as male, despite her selecting female when filling out the paperwork. Schafer shared her frustration in a TikTok video, where she displayed the travel document and expressed disbelief over the mistake.

Schafer, 26, said she had previously held a passport listing her as female, but after misplacing it while filming overseas, she applied for a replacement. When she received the new passport, she was shocked to find that it had an “M” marker instead of an “F.”

She attributed the error to changes in U.S. government policies regarding gender identity under the administration of President Donald Trump. On his first day back in office, Trump signed an executive order reinstating policies that define gender strictly based on biological sex at birth. As a result, U.S. passports now only list “M” or “F,” based on the sex assigned at birth, and no longer accommodate gender identity changes.

Schafer criticized the policy shift, stating that she had initially been skeptical about whether it would have real-life consequences. “I just didn’t think it was actually going to happen,” she said in her video. “Today, I saw it.”

Previously, under the Biden administration, the U.S. had introduced an option allowing passport applicants to choose their gender identity, including an “X” designation for non-binary, intersex, and gender-nonconforming individuals. That policy has now been overturned, reverting to a stricter definition of sex as immutable.

For Schafer, the situation is not just an inconvenience but also a source of anxiety. She explained that she was planning to travel internationally in the coming days and anticipated difficulties at airports due to the discrepancy between her passport and her gender identity. “I’m pretty sure this is going to mean having to out myself to border patrol agents way more often than I’d like,” she said, highlighting the personal impact of the policy change.

Schafer’s documentation issues stem from the fact that while she legally updated her gender markers on her driver’s license and previous passports when she was a teenager, her birth certificate was never amended. Because the new passport policy relies on the sex recorded at birth, this appears to be the reason for the incorrect designation.

The U.S. State Department has updated its website to reflect the new guidelines, stating that it now issues passports only with “M” or “F” markers that match the applicant’s biological sex at birth. This marks a stark departure from the previous administration’s policy, which allowed self-identification of gender on travel documents.

Schafer emphasized that the issue affects transgender individuals of all backgrounds, regardless of their social status. “No one—no matter how wealthy, white, or pretty—is excluded from this,” she stated, making it clear that these policy changes have tangible effects on people’s lives.

In addition to her work as an actress, Schafer has been a vocal advocate for transgender rights. Her portrayal of Jules Vaughn, a transgender teenager in Euphoria, has been widely praised for its authenticity and depth, helping to bring more visibility to trans experiences in mainstream media. Now, she finds herself at the center of a real-life issue that echoes the struggles faced by many transgender individuals.

While the full impact of the new passport regulations remains to be seen, Schafer’s experience has already sparked conversations online about the challenges faced by transgender people navigating bureaucratic systems that fail to recognize their identities. Many of her fans and supporters have expressed solidarity, calling for a reversal of the policy and advocating for a more inclusive approach to gender recognition in official documentation.

For now, Schafer is preparing for her upcoming travel with an incorrect passport, uncertain about the difficulties she may face at border checkpoints. “This is real, and it’s happening,” she said, underscoring the broader implications of the policy change for the transgender community.