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I wanted to share the story of my name change.
It all began not long after I began my transition, and discovered that if I wanted surgery, I would have to change my name. Which would have been difficult, because I was deep in debt, and didnt have the money it would take.
That changed when Walmart outsourced my department, and paid me out, giving me a about four thousand dollars.
With the money issue solved, I sent away to New Brunswick for a copy of my birth certificate, which I would need to start the ball rolling.
And then two days after it arrived, I lost it, along with my wallet containing all my identification.
That was such a body blow, I almost gave up right then.
But, after having replaced my driver's licence, bank card, and the rest, I sent away for another copy of my birth certificate, and tried again.
This time, I made it to point where the province of Alberta recognized me as Dorothy, changed my driver's licence, bank card, medical card, and thought I was done.
Unfortunately, I was wrong, as I discovered late last year that the federal government wasnt on board.
In order to get them on board, I had to send away for my birth certificate for the third time, fill out a form, and send it along with even more money back to New Brunswick to get them to make the changes needed.
Meanwhile, I was freaking out because I had needed this updated info to keep collecting handicapped assistance this year, and had been forced to ask for an extension before I had even put the paperwork in the mail.
I'm sorry to have to tell you, but I was pretty close to checking out of life by Christmas, because I was starting to think that my decision to change my name was going to end up costing me the help I was getting.
But finally, last Thursday, the changed birth certificate arrived, and Friday I went to the federal government office, got my updated social insurance info, took that to the handicapped assistance office, and for good measure managed to get a hold of the tax people and get the changes done with them as well as fixing an error on my files regarding my address.
In short, I did this as badly as you could, and still succeed in the end.
Make of that anything you will.
Comments
Beuracracy
I'm sorry you had to jump through all those hoops, but the good thing is you got there in the end. Good for you!
- Leona
Talking about differences
In the UK back in 1986, I simply wrote to the DVLA (That is the Driver [and] Vehicle Licensing Authority for our transatlantic friends) stating the fact of my wish to change my name and gender alongside a copy of my old ID and some weeks later got back the new licence addresses to "Miss". It got slightly more "difficult" (giggles) with the National Health and the tax office, as I had to make what is called a Deed Poll, a paper stating my old name and th intention to use a new name and what it would be along with the approrpate title (the choice then was still only Miss, Mrs. or Mr.) that was later changed to Ms. with the new political correctness (more giggles). It had to be witnessed by two people's signature. End of story.
Enter German stu(bborness)pidity. My lovely German country, ruled by the"Christian" Democrats (CDU) refused outright to change the ancient law, that stated that a being's first name, has to be a clear and unmistakeable indication of the beings sex! at birth. In the Transsexuellengetz (Transsexual Law) 1982 they conveniently forgot to overrule that ancient law, resulting in the fact, that everyone, who wants to even just change their name, still today has to legally challenge that old law in font of an administrative court and provide "proof" of the claim being justified. That proof consists of at least one psychiatric and one pyschological assessments to the fact that the person is not going to want to change back, proof of being at least sterilised, being celibat or divorced and two years of living as a woman/man respectively. Some hoops those are.
In any case that just changes your first and possibly middle name, not the sex mark in your papers or the title, so you might end up being Mr. [put female first name here] last name. Until you have had your operation and another legal procedure (providing all medical records and photographs of your new sexual organs) that finally results in a judges decision to change your birth certificate and thereby the sex marker in all your papers. To make the fun complete the decision (that you need to change your papers) is sent to you by registered letter, that - unless you are there to receive it in person when the postperson comes - you can only recuperate from the Post office with papers proving your identity, but the letter of course is addreesses to the new one. F****d up or what?
Perhaps that makes it a little clearer, why I left that effing outfit behind for good.
Monique.
Monique S
Conditions may apply
Well, how about for those of us who have a name that could go with either sex?
That is fairly common in the English world. In fact, Erin has a really good story, Love Les, about a boy named Leslie right now whom everyone thinks is a girl for which his name doesn't help change that perception.