An executive order signed by President Trump upon taking office is having a ripple effect on gender activism in Canada.
On January 20, Trump signed an order titled “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.”
The order affirmed the “biological reality of sex” and formally recognized only two genders in the United States. Canadians were recently notified that the order is now restricting their gender performance in terms of travel documents.
‘Canada must uphold its commitment to gender inclusion.’
Since 2019, Canadians have been allowed to designate their genders as “X” on their passports, a policy that progressed through the Nexus travel cards, a joint program between the Canada Border Services Agency and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The program allows travelers between the two countries to cross faster using expedited lines and screening processes.
Now, the CBSA has confirmed that Nexus users from Canada will no longer be allowed to label their gender as “X” and must be compliant with Trump’s executive order moving forward.
As Juno News reported, current Nexus cards will remain valid if they use the X, but all future applications are required to select either “male” or “female.”
Canadian border officials confirmed that this will affect hundreds of Nexus members.
Approximately 550 Nexus applications have been submitted with the gender marked as “X” between January 2022 and March 2025. It is unknown, however, how many current card holders will have to change once they renew; Nexus cards are valid for five years.
A CBSA spokesman told the Canadian Press that while Canada’s government recognizes the “X,” it cannot guarantee entry to other countries.
“Not all countries have the same values and legal system that we have in Canada,” Luke Reimer said in a statement. “As a result, it is important for travelers to be informed about the legal framework and social customs governing sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and sex characteristics in the destination country.”
Predictably, transgender activists in Canada were not pleased about the change and labeled it a regression.
Removing the “X” option is a “step backward for the recognition and inclusion of trans, nonbinary, and gender-diverse people,” according to Helen Kennedy. Kennedy is the executive director of Egale Canada, a gay activism charity. Kennedy told the Canadian Press, “Canada must uphold its commitment to gender inclusion and human rights by working with U.S. counterparts to find solutions that do not erase the identities of 2SLGBTQI people.”
A lawyer named Sarah Mikhail claimed the change is a “manifestation” of how Trump’s policies affects different gay identities.
“What we are seeing right now is a policy that is at odds with our own policy and inconsistent and incompatible with it,” she told the Canadian Press. She added that the change of policy is “distressing and troubling” to those who believe they are transgender or nonbinary.
The U.S. will continue to accept Canadian passports that use an “X” gender for general travel, though.
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