As many have pointed out, having an ID that doesn’t match your appearance or lived reality is not a matter of pronouns or “validation,” but one of material consequence: it prevents trans people from freely moving about the world without risking constant harassment, violence, and discrimination. Advocates For Trans Equality notes in its guide on trans identity documents that “incorrect identification exposes people to a range of negative outcomes, from denial of employment, housing, and public benefits to harassment and physical violence.” In January 2025, the administration issued a broad anti-trans executive order claiming the federal government would only recognize a person’s “immutable biological classification as either male or female,” defying the overwhelming consensus of medical science, which shows that sex is neither immutable nor purely biological.