Trans influencer Zaya Perysian has recently shared some drama with her fans involving the renewal of her U.S. passport. Having fully transitioned several years ago, Perysian has already had all of her documents legally changed to female, and she’s also undergone sex change surgery. However, the U.S. Department of State has issued the TikToker new passport with her gender/sex updated to male.
It’s not hard to see that this incident is a result of the recent executive order that President Donald Trump has put out, declaring the U.S. government will solely recognize “only two genders, male and female.” The policy will also bar transgender people from having their sex changed on their passports. Needless to say, Zaya Perysian has become a victim of this new policy. “The only thing that them denying to put ‘female’ on my passport does is put me in danger while traveling,” Perysian protests.
Along with a host of transphobic comments the trans influencer claims she received, she also presented that some followers of her situation believe her to be lying about when she had her new passport issued. It’s only been several days since the Trump Administration has been in power, after all, so the doubters claim she must have requested the renewal months ago. In another social media post, she clarified the situation.
The transphobic executive order was signed on the 20th of January, so Perysian booked an appointment at her passport agency in California (her current state of residency) on the 23rd. To get the processing and approval done faster, she booked a flight to Canada, resulting in her receiving the new passport on the 28th, 5 days after she had her old passport sent in. However, Passport Services stated in a letter that her “sex was corrected on her passport” to “match their records.” These “records” refer to her old passport information pre-transition, in which she’s identified as male.
Zaya Perysian is not standing for this discrimination and has claimed she’s legally fighting this passport error regarding her gender. “Trans people make up less than 1% of the population. The only reason you see us so much is because we’re being used by both sides as a political weapon. And y’all are falling for it constantly,” argues the trans influencer. Being the brave individual she is, Perysian has invited the haters to send her hate and even death threats, declaring that these self-proclaimed “God-fearing American Christians” have good things awaiting them in the afterlife.
On the contrary, her TikTok posts about the passport drama are flooded with overwhelmingly supportive comments. “Zaya, your voice is so powerful,” reads a top comment. “I’m so sorry this has happened!! You are gorgeous and don’t deserve to be treated like that!” outcries another. “Girl you don’t deserve all this hate,” encourages a third. “I believe in you queen, keep fighting this,” comments a fourth. It’s clear that many support Zaya Perysian and others in her position. Trans people just need to stay strong through this dark time and weather the storm together to fight back for their rights.
