A transwoman in the United States has voiced her frustration after receiving an email notifying her that her gender had been changed from female back to male on her passport.
Born male but having transitioned to female, she shared a video explaining how her official gender marker had been altered without her consent. This change reportedly occurred after President Donald Trump signed a policy reversing recognition for cross-dressing and transgender individuals, stating that a man would be identified as male and a woman as female on official documents.
In the video, the transwoman, identified as Perysian Zaya Mekhi, displayed her passport’s bio page, which still featured her photo dressed as a woman but now marked with “M” for male. Expressing her distress, she said, “For those wondering what it’s like to be transgender under this administration, I just received my new passport, and they changed my gender to male because of Donald Trump.”
She emphasized that all her other legal documents identify her as female and that she has undergone full gender-affirming surgery. The letter she received stated, “The sex was corrected on your passport application. The changes were made for one of the following reasons: to match our records.” She explained that the only record ever identifying her as male was a passport she had when she was much younger.
“So, basically, it doesn’t matter that all my other documents state female or that I’ve had gender reassignment surgery—if you’ve previously had a passport listing the opposite sex, they will not recognize your transition.”
Frustrated by the situation, Zaya announced her intention to take legal action, stating, “I will be seeking legal action.” She further explained, “I am an adult who has undergone a full medical transition. There is nothing about me externally that represents male anymore.”
Her case has sparked discussions about transgender rights and legal recognition under the current U.S. administration.
