This PR tactic is a good one to be able to recognize even outside the trans fight. The “passive voice apology” is when a person or organization apologizes, but does so in the passive voice. For example:
“We apologize for any offense caused.”
As opposed to:
“We apologize for causing offense.”
The first apology (often called a “non-apology”) uses the passive voice to avoid claiming responsibility. It also uses vagueness in the language (through the inclusion of the word “any”) to subtly pull the reader’s mind into the possibility space that no offense was in fact caused.