TORONTO (Reuters) — For nearly two months, Canadian officials found themselves navigating a diplomatic balancing act as they worked to address growing concerns among Canadian travelers in the wake of a contentious executive order signed by then-U.S. President Donald Trump regarding gender policies.
The executive order, issued on January 20, mandated that U.S. federal agencies recognize only two biological sexes. It required government-issued identification—such as passports and visas—to record a person’s sex based solely on what the U.S. administration termed “immutable biological classification as either male or female.” The directive further stipulated that the term “sex” must be used instead of “gender” across official documents.
In a trove of internal correspondence obtained under Canada’s freedom of information laws, Canadian federal officials appeared to deliberate extensively on how to respond. The emails reveal an effort to both safeguard the rights and interests of Canadians, particularly transgender and non-binary individuals, while maintaining harmonious diplomatic relations with the United States—a close but sometimes tense trade partner.
An email sent on January 22 noted that Canadian authorities had initiated communication with their U.S. counterparts to better understand the implications of the executive order. Specifically, the discussions raised concerns over whether the new American policy could hinder transgender Canadians from entering the United States.
On January 27, an official from Global Affairs Canada referenced a query from a Canadian citizen, asking, “What is the plan to reassure Canadians & address their concerns regarding travel to the US?” The correspondence revealed anxiety within the government regarding the U.S. directive that required visa applicants to submit the sex assigned at birth—even if it differed from the sex indicated on their passports. Special concern was expressed about how this requirement could affect permanent Canadian residents and official delegations attending events in the U.S.
By March, Canada updated its travel advisory for the United States, highlighting a new requirement for foreign nationals staying over 30 days to register with U.S. authorities. Additionally, officials crafted and approved new advisory language addressing the Trump administration’s policy on passports bearing an “X” gender marker. However, that language was ultimately withheld from publication. The decision to exclude the new text was redacted under an exemption in Canada’s Access to Information Act, which shields certain advisories and internal counsel.
A Global Affairs Canada spokesperson declined to explain why the advisory had not been updated to include the “X” marker issue. The department, however, emphasized it was keeping a close watch on the situation and stated that no Canadians had reported being denied entry into the United States because of having an “X” gender designation on their passport.
In a prepared response, the spokesperson added, “This preparation includes developing draft templates of text that can be quickly adapted to respond to a specific situation if needed, based on the most recent information.” The comment underscores a pattern of internal readiness by Canadian officials to rapidly address fluid international policy developments that may affect their citizens abroad.
