I haven’t started the process of changing my name and gender marker on any of my documents yet. Between having my birth certificate from a very anti-trans state, and now the Supreme Court allowing the government to deny us changing our gender markers on passports, is there even a point in me trying to change my documents? I feel like, best case scenario I have a mix of updated and out-of-date documents, which feels like it would just create more confusion and difficulty.

  • dandelion (she/her)@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
    10·
    1 day ago

    I wouldn’t wait, these updates can take months or longer to happen, if anything I would say you’re late. If you don’t want the male gender marker anywhere, then do everything you can to start removing it.

    Also, I wouldn’t worry about leaving or entering the country based on gender marker alone - make sure you have extra copies of your court ordered name change (my court listed gender change as the reason), and this will usually be enough whenever questions start to arise - it unilaterally proves you were your deadname.

    Also, it’s possible that if the ship rights itself politically, that in a matter of a few years you will be allowed to self-identify gender markers again.

    EDIT:

    here are the places I updated name and/or gender:

    • social security
    • passport
    • birth certificate
    • driver’s license (Real ID)
    • voter registration
    • marriage license
    • email address
    • bank & other financial institutions (credit card company, etc.)
    • employer
    • on school transcripts (high school, college, etc.)
    • credit bureaus: Equifax, etc.
    • your house’s utility company
    • any property deeds, e.g. to a home or car
    • medical doctor
    • eye doctor
    • insurance companies (medical, auto, etc.)

    I would move fast on getting name and gender updated on a Real ID driver’s license, the federal government is already moving to try to deny trans identity for Real ID, so you want to get on that - it will allow you to fly anywhere in the U.S. without requiring a passport that may not have your correct gender marker. Getting a Real ID license with your updated name and gender marker would then allow you to update your name lots of other places, it will be accepted as a legal ID.

    Currently I think social security and passports cannot have gender marker updated, but it’s still worth updating the name, and on the passport it can be important to have an accurate photo.

    • compostgoblin@piefed.blahaj.zoneOPEnglish
      3·
      22 hours ago

      Wow, thank you for the list! That’s going to be really helpful. It feels like a daunting undertaking, but you’re probably right, better to start sooner than later

      Edit: Where did you start?/Where should I start? With the name change petition and then drivers license?

      • dandelion (she/her)@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
        1·
        20 hours ago

        yes, get the court ordered name change first, then go for the driver’s license (and if you don’t already have Real ID now is when you would apply for it)

        you will need the court order for several places and they don’t always return copies, so I suggest getting many extra official copies (you usually have to pay for those, it’s usually a small fee).

        Be prepared with all the necessary documents when you make the name change petition, ask what documents are needed when you go and schedule it at the court.