The Brief

Mere hours after his Jan. 20 inauguration, President Donald Trump issued an executive order stating that the federal government would recognize only two sexes, male and female. As a result, the State Department immediately eliminated the “X” gender as an option and suspended its previous policy that permitted transgender, intersex and nonbinary people to update gender markers on their passports. 

After a back-and-forth in the federal courts following a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, the conservative-leaning Supreme Court has ruled that the Trump administration can enforce this policy.

But the latest update is not the end of the road for trans people and gender markers, San Francisco lawyer Alexis Levy said, since “this decision doesn’t dispose of the lawsuit in general.”“That will take several more months at least,” Levy said. “This was an emergency stay, which is a very specific subset that’s become a very frequent feature in this administration, and the Supreme Court during this administration.”

California still allows people to change their gender marker or use “X” on state-issued documents like their birth certificate or their driver’s license.

Levy, who specializes in name and gender marker changes through their nonprofit Identity Affirmation Workshop, said they’ve seen clientele increase “pretty significantly” since the November election.

“People saw the writing on the wall,” said Levy, who has been hosting free gender marker and name change clinics with other LGBTQ+ organizations, including the Oakland LGBTQ Center. “The whole process can be really daunting,” they said.

But what does changing your name or gender marker on official government documents now entail? KQED spoke to Levy about what trans, intersex and nonbinary people can expect during the lengthy process.

Please bear in mind that this is not legal advice, and it’s always a good idea to talk to an expert about your individual situation before taking concrete action — especially because current events may have superseded some information online.

Attorney Alexis Levy poses for a portrait outside the Civic Center Courthouse in San Francisco on Feb. 26, 2025.

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What’s the current situation for trans people’s U.S. passports?

Back in June, the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts ruled that the State Department “must allow people with a gender identity different from their sex assigned at birth to self-select the sex designation on their passport,” leaving a brief window of time in which trans Americans could update or renew their documents accordingly.

But that window is closed once again. Following the Supreme Court’s decision on Nov. 6, all new, renewed and replacement passports will now use the gender marker assigned at birth — and the ‘X’ gender option is no longer available.

While there’s still another decision to come from the First Circuit Court of Appeals left, which could lead to another brief window in which trans people can once again adjust their gender markers, this timeline is “really hard to predict,” Levy said.

“My advice remains the same: that it is better to have a passport with the wrong gender marker on it than it is to have no passport at all,” they said.

In addition to the confusion and anxiety caused by the frequent policy changes, the situation remains “demoralizing” for many trans, intersex, and gender non-conforming people across the country, Levy said — people who were already reeling from the Trump administration’s January executive order affecting their passports.

A 24-year-old trans man told NPR in February that after filing paperwork to change his gender marker to male on his passport before Trump’s inauguration, he received a passport marking him as female. Euphoria actor Hunter Schafer detailed on TikTok how her new passport lists her as male, despite having female on her government documents since she was a teenager.

“I’m just sort of scared of the way this stuff slowly gets implemented,” Schafer said in her social post, explaining her concerns about possibly being forced to out herself in front of a border patrol agent.

“We are never going to stop existing. I’m never going to stop being trans,” Schafer said in her February video. “A letter and a passport can’t change that.”

“There’s really no purpose for policies like this one, apart from making the people it affects’ lives miserable,” Levy said.

Can people who have changed their gender marker or have “X” still use their passports to travel?

The U.S. State Department’s site said that a passport with an “X” marker or that “lists a sex other than [your] sex as defined by the White House executive order” will “remain valid until its expiration date,” and that you can still use it to travel in and out of the U.S.

Acknowledging the anxiety some may have around traveling these passports, Lambda Legal, an organization serving LGBTQ+ people, said it’s not aware of any confirmed incidents “where individuals have faced problems leaving or reentering the United States using an unexpired passport issued prior to the 2025 policy changes — including those with an X gender marker.”

“There have also been no verified reports of passports being confiscated upon reentry,” the group’s website reads.

However, stressed Lambda Legal, travelers should weigh their personal circumstances, “including how you use your passport, your plans for international travel, and your individual safety needs and risk tolerance.”

Which documents can I change my name and/or gender markers on?

There is no one universal application where you can change your name or gender marker for all of your documents and changing one does not prompt another document to change. You have to do it “manually 100% of the time,” Levy said.

Levy said the four major documents people have historically wanted to change to reflect an update to their name or gender identity are:

Federal:

• Passport
• Social Security card and record

State:

• Birth certificate
• Driver’s license or REAL ID

California, along with several other states, still allows people to change their gender marker or use “X” on state-issued documents like their birth certificate or driver’s license.

Other documentation or information that a person might update to reflect a new name or correct gender marker could potentially include: green cards, visas, foreign passports, citizenship certificates, health insurance, insurance and information around banking and credit cards. And name changes, especially, don’t have to be confined to government documents, Levy said.

“Anywhere where your name is attached to it is somewhere where eventually you’re going to have to update it,” said Levy, who went through the name change process themself last summer.

These updates could include mail, magazine subscriptions or their identity at a club or nonprofit.

How can I legally have a change of name and/or gender identity recognized?

To update a lot of your major documentation to reflect a new name and/or correct gender marker, you’ll need to go to your local county court and obtain a court order.

In California, you can ask for the court to recognize:

• A change of name “to make it match your gender identity” or
• A change of gender identity or
• A change of both name and gender identity at the same time.

Depending on your individual situation, you will have to fill out at least two — and potentially several more — forms, which will be filed with your local clerk (and be sure to make a copy of all of them). See which forms might be required to change your name and/or gender identity in California.

Some local courts will ask for their own additional forms to file, which you can check with your court’s clerk. Levy notes that some counties may ask for more biographical information for background-checking purposes, including height, weight and place of birth.

After you’ve provided the information required by your county, generally, the clerk will then send the forms to a judge, who will then sign a name change and gender recognition order.

This certified signed order helps you change your other official documents, like state IDs. You will need multiple copies of the signed order to change each document.

This process is also available to people born or married in California but who now live out of state.

Are there any documents I can change without a court order?

Levy said you could change your gender marker on California documents — such as birth certificates and driver’s licenses/IDs — without a court order, although you’ll still be asked for some “specific supporting documentation.” Name change recognition, however, almost always needs a court order.

Some people may still consider obtaining the court order regardless of having their gender marker changed, even if it’s possible to do so in California without the order, Levy said. That includes people born in another state or country that does require a court order to make such a change. Californians may also consider obtaining the court order as a kind of insurance against potential future changes in federal policy regarding self-selection on gender markers, Levy said, since the Constitution mandates that the federal government. As well as other states, must respect a state court order.

The bureaucratic process of updating a birth certificate without a court order can also be intricate and specific, according to Levy. And since any administrative mistakes on the applicant’s part can lead to long delays, they recommend you consult a legal expert if you choose to go this route.

Do I need permission for a physician to change my name or gender marker?

No. After a 2018 law, California residents do not need a physician’s letter for a name and gender change petition.

Once I’ve obtained my court order recognizing my name and/or gender identity change, how can I start updating my documents?

Updating your Social Security card

You can change your name on your Social Security card through the Social Security Administration.

The card does not list a person’s gender marker, but the agency said it “maintains information in its computer records on everyone who has a Social Security number, including name, date of birth, and sex.”

The California Department of Motor Vehicles — as well as the State Department, banks, insurance companies, credit card companies and more — often use the Social Security database to cross-reference and confirm people’s identities. Changing a name with the Social Security Administration is almost always a prerequisite before updating other government IDs (except birth certificates) and insurance, Levy said.

Lambda Legal, an organization serving LGBTQ+ people, notes that as of Jan. 31, the Trump administration has directed the Social Security Administration to “stop processing gender marker updates” associated with their records.

Advocates for Trans Equality, a trans advocacy group, has noted that Social Security benefits are not dependent on sex. However, “when applying for Medicare, Medicaid, or Obamacare health insurance through the marketplace, use the sex that matches Social Security,” the group said.

Updating your driver’s license or RealID

These are state documents, so you can update your name and/or your gender marker through your local Department of Motor Vehicles. According to the state, you should change your name on your Social Security card before you request a name update on your driver’s license or RealID.

Updating your birth certificate

You can update your name and your gender marker on your birth certificate through the California Department of Public Health. Updating your name requires a court order, but updating your gender marker does not.

Updating your passport 

You can update your name on your passport through the U.S. Department of State.

Updating your marriage certificate

If you had a public marriage, you can update your name or gender marker on your marriage certificate with the State Registrar. If you had a confidential marriage, you can update your marriage certificate with the county recorder’s office that issued the certificate.

How long would changing my name or gender marker take?

According to the state, the decision period in which a judge signs the name change and gender recognition order is six weeks. But in many cases, this can vary, Levy said, and the process can be delayed even longer if there are mistakes in your paperwork.

And once the court order is approved, “each of those individual documents takes different periods of time,” Levy said. “So California birth certificates take about four months. … Usually [with] Social Security, you do that, and you get a new card in the mail within two weeks.”

How much money will changing my name and/or gender markers cost?

Name and gender marker changes can be a pricey process, with just some of the costs including:

• A court petition is $435 to $450, with some fee waivers available for people whose household income is below a set amount or who receive public benefits if a judge approves it.
• Each copy of a certified order is $40. (This is free if you qualify for the fee waiver.)
• Reissuing an updated California birth certificate costs $26.
• Social Security cards are reissued for free.
• An updated driver’s license is $36.
• Passport renewals are $130.

Do I need to circulate my name in the local newspaper?

No. If you are changing your name according to your gender identity, you do not need to have your name change printed in a newspaper.

What if I am worried about my safety?

Court documents are usually public records. If you are in the state witness program or the Safe at Home address confidentiality program, you can ask to keep your name change confidential by asking your local court.

Do I need to be a certain age to update my name or gender marker?

If a person is under 18 and in California, they would need parental permission to change their name and gender marker on their state ID.

Young people can also use their preferred names and pronouns in public schools without having to show any legal documentation. KQED has a guide further explaining the rights of trans students in public K–12 schools.

Andrea and Milo Ronquillo sit with attorney Alexis Levy (right) near the Civic Center Courthouse in San Francisco on Feb. 26, 2025.

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Beth LaBerge

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Where can trans folks find support and resources around documentation changes?

Levy holds regular clinic with their firm Identity Affirmation Workshop and said the service is pro bono to anyone living in California or, if they live out of state, born or married in the state.

Other organizations offering advice in this area:

• Trans Equality
• Lambda Legal’s help desk
• Trans Lifeline
• More about the name and gender marker changing process if you are incarcerated.

KQED’s Natalia Navarro contributed to this report.

This story was originally published on March 6 and has been updated to reflect that Alexis Levy’s nonprofit is called Identity Affirmation Workshop.

The Los Angeles World Cup host committee has quietly posted its guidance on human rights after months of speculation over where the plan was and when it would be published.

Advocates had pushed the committee, an arm of the Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission, to produce its plan. But now that it's out, they're not satisfied with what they're seeing.

The human rights guidance is required by FIFA and outlined on the host committee's website. It includes a list of online resources including where to file complaints with various local and state level agencies and a summary of local, state and federal laws protecting human and civil rights. The committee is also touting a partnership with L.A. County in which people can call 211 to report a concern during the tournament.

"Los Angeles is weeks away from hosting one of the largest sporting events in the world, and yet what has been posted is not a plan,” Stephanie Richard, director of the Sunita Jain Anti‑Trafficking Initiative at Loyola Law School, said in a statement. “It is a list of laws and hotline numbers."

The human rights document also skirts fears around ICE and its potential presence at the tournament and surrounding celebrations. Todd Lyons, the agency's head, said earlier this year that ICE's investigatory branch will play a key role in security for the tournament.

But ICE and immigration enforcement aren't mentioned on the host committee's web page on human rights or in its outline of its approach to human rights. "Immigration status" only gets a mention in the list of existing anti-discrimination laws.

"It certainly could have been much stronger," Angelica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights in Los Angeles, said of the plan. She added that her organization participated in a roundtable on the plan, and she was disappointed ICE and recent immigration sweeps weren't mentioned in the resulting document.

"In order for all of this to happen, immigrant workers are part of it," she said of the World Cup. "Your hotel workers, your service workers, stadium workers, drivers." 

LAist reached out to spokespeople for the host committee for comment via email, phone and text, but did not hear back in time for publication. FIFA's press team also did not respond to an email from LAist.

According to the host committee's website, the human rights plan is the result of coordination with the city and county of Los Angeles, the city of Inglewood, and 14 roundtable discussions held in the fall of 2025.

"As a non-profit organization, the Host Committee’s role is primarily and necessarily focused on aligning and collaborating with governmental and non-governmental organizations," the document sums up the committee's approach.

The plan also promises more actions, including "Know Your Rights" training for L.A. residents and visitors and "Know Your Responsibilities" training for businesses and vendors. The committee also says it will develop a "rapid response" strategy to respond to potential problems at the tournament.

Available details on those plans were scant. And with the tournament just 30 days away, labor unions and community groups are continuing to voice concerns about potential ICE presence at SoFi Stadium and other potential consequences of the tournament coming to town.

The mayor of Arcadia has agreed to plead guilty to a charge she acted as an agent for China, federal prosecutors announced Monday. She has resigned from her position with the city.

Eileen Wang, 58, faces one count of acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The charge carries a potential sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison.

What we know about the criminal case

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Wang and Yaoning “Mike” Sun of Chino Hills worked at the direction of the Chinese government and with individuals based in the U.S. to promote pro-People’s Republic of China propaganda in the United States. Those actions occurred between 2020 and 2022, prosecutors said.

According to federal prosecutors, Wang and Sun operated a website — known as U.S. News Center — billed as a news source for the local Chinese American community in Los Angeles County. They posted content on the site, described as "pre-written articles," based on directives from Chinese government officials.

Sun, 65, pleaded guilty in October 2025 in federal court to acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government. He is serving a four-year federal prison sentence.

Prosecutors also said Wang communicated with John Chen, whom they described as “a high-level member of the [Chinese government] intelligence apparatus,” in November 2021, and asked him to post an article from her website.

In a group chat, Wang referenced the article and wrote: “This is what the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wants to send,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Chen pleaded guilty in New York to acting as an illegal agent of the People’s Republic of China and conspiracy to bribe a public official. In 2024, he was sentenced to 20 months in federal prison.

What's next

Wang, who was elected to the City Council in November 2022, was expected to make her first appearance in U.S. District Court Monday afternoon.

Citing a plea agreement, prosecutors said she's expected to enter the guilty plea within the next few weeks.

Arcadia's mayor is selected from the elected council members. A post on the city's website announced that Wang had resigned her position as of Monday and that a new mayor would be picked from the remaining council members at the next meeting.

The Supreme Court on Monday gave itself more time to consider a national ban on telemedicine access to the abortion pill mifepristone.

Justice Samuel Alito extended an earlier order he issued by three more days, so rules for prescribing mifepristone online or through the mail remain in effect through Thursday at a minimum.

The case at issue

The tumult over the future of telemedicine access to mifipristone started on May 1 with a ruling from the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. That ruling re-instituted prescribing rules from before the pandemic that required patients to receive mifepristone in person in a doctor's office or clinic.

The Food and Drug Administration determined that the rule was medically unnecessary in 2021. The state of Louisiana sued last fall, arguing that telemedicine access undermines the state's abortion ban.

What is telemedicine abortion?

The telemedicine abortion process starts with a patient connecting with a healthcare provider on the phone or online. If the patient is eligible, that provider can prescribe two medications — mifepristone and another pill called misoprostol. Patients can pick up the medicine at a local pharmacy, or providers can mail the drugs to a patient's home.

That access is a big part of the reason why the number of abortions nationally has actually increased since the Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion in 2022. Now, most abortions in the U.S. use this combination of medications, and one quarter happen via telemedicine.

After the 5th Circuit ruling, some providers said they would continue offering telemedicine access to abortion medication using a different protocol that involves higher doses of misoprostol and no mifepristone.

Researchers say that method is just as safe and effective, but tends to cause more pain for patients and more side effects, like nausea and diarrhea. Misoprostol has other medical uses, such as treating gastric ulcers and hemorrhage, and has been on the market longer than mifepristone. It is likely to remain fully accessible, even if mifepristone is restricted.

Since the FDA's prescribing rules for medications apply to the whole country, a change to the rules about how mifepristone can be accessed has national impact. That means it affects states with constitutionally-protected access to abortion, states with criminal bans, like Louisiana, and all states in between.

States' rights

Nearly two dozen Democratic-led states submitted an amicus brief in this case, writing that the appeals court decision put the policy choices of states with bans above the choices of states "that have made the different but equally sovereign determinations to promote access to abortion care."

There are also stakes related to the power of FDA and other expert agencies to set rules. While the Trump administration's FDA did not respond to the Supreme Court's request for briefs, a group of former leaders of the agency, who served under mainly Democratic and some Republican presidents, wrote about this in an amicus brief.

They defended the FDA's process in approving the medication and modifying the rules for prescribing it, and say the appeals court decision "would upend FDA's gold-standard, science-based drug approval system."

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