'I am exactly who God made': Why travel is a battleground for drag and trans performers

USA Today

3 days ago

'I am exactly who God made': Why travel is a battleground for drag and trans performers
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Hunter Schafer says passport now lists sex assigned at birth
Hunter Schafer, a prominent trans actress and model, warned TikTok followers against complacency, saying her passport sex had been changed to "male."
Transgender drag performers Aja, Bosco and Kerri Colby face difficulties and anxieties when traveling internationally due to gender marker discrepancies on passports.
They view these difficulties as systemic erasure and part of a larger political attack on the trans community.
Despite the hardships, these performers find power and purpose in their visibility and advocacy for the trans community.
When Aja, a transgender drag icon and RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 10 contestant, books an international gig, the logistics go far beyond packing wigs and rhinestones. There's also the mental checklist: Is her passport up to date? Where is she least likely to encounter an issue if she has a layover? Could she get detained at the airport? Will her female gender marker cause extra headaches at the Transportation Security Administration checkpoint?
'I've had to cancel international gigs because I can't travel without risking being detained or harassed,' Aja told USA TODAY. 'This isn't just about me – it affects trans people across the country, especially those without a platform.'
That fear isn't unfounded. In recent months, trans and nonbinary travelers have faced delays and outright denials from the U.S. State Department when trying to update gender markers on their passports, even when their other legal documents are in order. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, these delays disproportionately affect trans people trying to work, travel or simply exist safely across borders.
Even though Aja's current passport and identification documents match her gender identity, she was still denied a passport renewal with a female marker, she said. 'Basically, (the State Department) was calling my documents fraudulent and, you know, after I've gone through the trouble of updating all of them to what visibly makes sense, what do you think that says about our government making this arbitrary decision that puts my life at risk?'
'When your basic right to move freely is denied, it's a message: 'You don't belong here.' It's bigger than bureaucracy. It's systemic erasure,' she added.
A scarlet letter in your passport
Bosco, another fan favorite contestant in All Stars 10, put it bluntly. 'I've navigated international tours with a male marker on my passport before,' she said. 'It's not ideal and it really, really will gum up the process … I could get detained if we have certain stop-offs and layovers.'
For trans performers like Aja, Bosco and Kerri Colby, the freedom to move – the lifeblood of any performing artist – is increasingly under attack. Travel, once a means to connect with international fans and grow their careers, now has an additional level of scrutiny from their own country.
'It just complicates everything,' Bosco added. 'And then it just feels like a scarlet letter… It's simply just to discourage people from transitioning and to create more legal barriers.'
Kerri Colby describes it as psychological warfare. 'It's more about that feeling of dread just walking into an airport… having that fear flood you of, like, 'am I going to be able to get back in? Am I even going to make it home?''
Even those who haven't faced passport issues understand the emotional toll. 'Collectively, we all have to tap into our intuition,' Kerri said. 'We have to be very careful, but I also don't think it's right that (when) entering spaces when we're traveling and working, our first thought is fight or flight or fear. And then the second thought is, like, 'OK. Made it through TSA. This time I'm OK. I got that F on my passport.' There shouldn't be so much fear.'
A State Department spokesperson confirmed to USA TODAY that it would issue passports "in the applicant's biological sex at birth" but did not respond to questions about what happens to individuals who legally change their birth certificates to match their identities.
"The White House Executive Order 'Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government' states that it is the policy of the United States to acknowledge only two sexes: male and female," the spokesperson continued in an emailed statement. "It directs that U.S. government identity documents, including passports and visas, must reflect the individual's sex as defined in the Executive Order."
Drag as political resistance
These challenges come amid a broader climate of anti-trans legislation and rhetoric that has made drag itself a political scapegoat.
'The rhetoric has just been so poisonous against trans people for the past year,' Bosco said.
For many trans performers, drag is not just art, it's a lifeline for themselves and others.
'My drag has become a protest,' Aja said. 'I used to try to blend in more, but now I wear things that scream, 'I'm trans, I'm powerful and I'm here.''
All three performers spoke about how being visible in drag and in media has become a form of resistance.
'You don't have to approve of who I am or what I do,' Kerri said when asked what she would like to say to lawmakers and institutions. 'But at the end of the day, I am an American citizen. I am a human being and you can't take that away from me. You can't legislate that away from me.'
Community as survival
What makes the drag community powerful and resilient is not just its cultural impact, but the way it sustains itself, especially in times of crisis.
'Without our community, I don't think I would be making it right now,' Kerri said. 'I go to Thanksgiving. I'm not gonna see anyone with my last name, but I'm gonna be in a room with nothing but complete family.'
Bosco said there's not enough political action focused on defending trans lives, even as society often depends on the queer community for the creation of many aspects of its broader culture.
Still, the struggle is undeniable. 'We're not fighting for anything else but our ability to basically breathe,' Kerri said. 'And I think that's crazy.'
The power of being seen
Despite the barriers, each of these performers holds onto the joy of visibility. It's not about fame, it's about impact.
'When people say they saw me and it helped them live more authentically? That's power,' Aja said.
Bosco agreed. 'It feels very full circle to be able to provide that for someone else now. It's healing.'
Whether on tour in Europe, walking through TSA, or taking the spotlight in a packed ballroom, these queens carry more than costumes – they carry entire communities, histories and futures on their shoulders.
'I am exactly who God made me to be and no one can do anything about that,' Kerri said.
You can watch Aja, Bosco and Kerri on RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 10 on Paramount+ with new episodes every Friday.
Contributing: Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY