After a brief struggle, I finally have a letter to get my gender marker changed. I am so excited because I was afraid it would take me much longer.
Originally, I thought it would be easy. I would just go to my OB/Gyn who is prescribing my HRT and he would give it to me. I found out that although he has been working with transgender patients, he is very old school and believes you have to have full surgery to qualify for a gender marker change. That is so very sad. The new rules for Social Security explicitely state that surgery is not required. So he refused to give me a letter in the format that Social Security requires.
On a long shot, I printed out the page from the Social Security website and highlighted the sample letter and the section stating that surgery is not required and gave it to my Primary Care Physcian and asked him for the letter. Today, I received a call from his nurse telling me the letter was waiting.
Well, that is part of the battle at least.
So in a few months time, I will have my name and gender marker changed. ~happy dance~
/Cassie Ellen
Comments
Congratulations
things are moving the way you want them to go. Good luck with the rest of the journey.
Angharad
Are you using...
Katie, my Lawyer? She has volunteered her time for GEAR and helping other TG folks. She is also TG, and passes admirably, I highly recommend her. If anyone needs a good lawyer in the DFW area send me a PM.
It also helps we have a friendly court in the Dallas area, which is not always the case.
Yes, I like her too
My GF and I both think that Katie is wonderful. She has been very easy to work with and always leaves us with a good feeling. That is not something I have had from very many lawyers. She also volunteered to handle my divorce for an incredibly reasonable fee. That includes driving over to Tarrent County to file it.
Though, what I like about Katie the most is that we have been able to do most of the work through email. I still have to struggle to get out of the house at times and being able to use email makes it so much easier.
/Cassie Ellen
Reluctant participant
The paperwork side of things here in Oregon was quite simple. And I can write to California to get my birth certificate changed for $100, though I have not done so.
It is the so called soft issues that wear me down at times. Despite the devastating losses of family, job and church. These are the happiest days of my life.
May God bless you.
Gwendolyn
In Texas, it is complicated at best
There is no legal rule for doing a gender marker change. Consequently, it is up to the judge to decide whether or not she wants to grant it. If it is not granted, the only recourse is to try filing again and hope to get assigned to a different judge. Just filing fees alone make it almost cost prohibitive for me. And in Tarrant county, I am told that there are no judges willing to grant gender marker changes.
Bright Blessings,
Cassie Ellen
Good luck girl.
Happy dances indeed. One more step.
Bevs
xxx
Texas in general...
is pretty hostile towards TG people. I suspect on one level they will be dragged kicking and screaming toward gender equality, as long as the Federal government insists that everyone gets equal protection. Until then, we just deal with it.