18/10/2025
Greg Owen writing at top queer newswire LGBTQ Nation, reports that quietly and with dignity, a new executive order came into force in the Virgin Islands last week. This allows for trans and intersex people to change the gender marker on their official documents. The governor enacted the policy by signing an executive order, making the change to USVI policy. His order marked the first instance ever of official recognition of trans people in the territory, according to Transitics. While the US Virgin Islands may be small, this is still progress. And in a year that has seen countless GOP attempts to restrict the IDs of trans people, progress is increasingly valuable. Additionally, with Kansas having resumed gender marker changes on IDs following a two-year court battle, the number of states and territories that currently allow these changes has not been higher since early 2024. Virgin Islanders have reached out to our administration seeking a way to have their documents reflect who they truly are,” Gov. Bryan said in a statement following the signing ceremony. “This Executive Order provides a fair and compassionate process where none existed before. It ensures that our government recognizes and respects the lived realities of all our residents.” Intersex Virgin Islanders and trans individuals with a court order stating they’ve had “surgical, hormonal, or other treatment for the purpose of gender transition,” can now easily revise the gender markers on both their birth certificates and government-issued ID cards.
