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Interesting article, it seems that the US is moving to make it easier to be who we are.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/the-first-u-s-passport...
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Comments
Conch Republic passport
While they are not accepted in all countries (Mostly only Caribbean countries) I truly love the 4 Gender options on the Conch Republic passports. which are, Male, Female, Other, and NONE OF YOUR DAMN BUSINESS.
Of course being who I am, I checked the last one when I applied for mine years ago :)
We the willing, led by the unsure. Have been doing so much with so little for so long,
We are now qualified to do anything with nothing.
Sorry,
But I really struggle with the concept of not being any gender, and I was really pleased to be able to change the M to F on my passport and the boy to girl on my birth certificate. I accept I was transsexual and we possibly have a very defined understanding of gender. I am not decrying anyone for not wishing to be a gender, I just don't understand them although I support their right to be genderless. I feel it's an individual choice how you register, although the drive to do so may not be a choice at all.
Angharad
I think it is more
a matter of either not feeling like you truly fit in either gender choice, or not being happy with either choice, than feeling like you are genderless. I have always felt that gender is a spectrum, and those that fall in the middle have troubles choosing either one. Myself, I have always known I have a very strong feminine side, much stronger than masculine, which is why I go by Holly as much as I possibly can.
Being androgynous
If you are transgender, then you are very clearly right in the middle of one of those traditional gender boxes (even if they tried to push you in the wrong one at first).
I am androgynous, both physically as well as mentally – never really fit in with the boys, but also no dysphoria, so not transgendered.
After half a century I have grown used to being considered officially male even if I do not fit into that box very well. But I would not fit into the "female box" better. So, while I have no problems with being considered male (and often enough being addressed as a woman …), if I were to start over, "neither of those" would be much closer to the truth.
Unfortunately,
I didn't have a choice in going through male puberty, so my outward appearance is still very much in disagreement with my inward feelings. I suffer from the dysphoria, and get very depressed at times over that. I stuffed those feelings down for many years and now I'm having to deal with them coming on strong - if it wasn't for the fact that I know just how badly suicide affects others, I would have left this planet long ago. I try and keep the balance on that, but I don't know if someday the depression becomes stronger than the knowledge of how badly that would hurt my family. I finally came out to my wife, and she embraces that part of me with great love and kindness, so very supportive. I know I would not be here today without that support, and the support of the wonderful friends I've made here on BCTS. If I was growing up today, I know it would be quite different, back when and where I was growing up, no one knew about anti-androgens that would have kept me from having to go through male puberty, and I could have kept the very feminine body and facial features I had all the way up into 11th grade when puberty started changing me. It is both wonderful and frustrating to have the world changing like it has and becoming so much more accepting of people like many of us here - in spite of there being such a long way to go still. It's good to know that what I said about being stuck in the middle seems to be pretty much correct.
The purpose of a passport
Perhaps the main purpose of a passport is to grant admission to other countries. I've been to places where having an immigration inspector questioning my identity would be uncomfortable and perhaps dangerous. I understand that we each get our own choices and I accept that the US is doing a good thing by permitting values other than "M" and "F" on passports. Still in most of the cases where I have used my passport I'm comfortable that my passport matches what people expect when they see me.
Your friend
Crash
Gender On Passport
I made a trip to Thailand in 2007 and had my gender changed. While in Bangkok, they took me to the American embassy and I left with a notarized statement that said I was female. When I got back to the US, I went to Seattle where they redid my Passport.
I'm amazed and thankful that in 16 years I have only been challenged twice. These days, I usually wear ankle length dresses and keep some sort of covering on my head, sometimes a full Hijab. The only hair I have is what is on top of my head. The rest was removed with Laser in 2005.
You won't find me out after sunset and not in bars or pubs or other high risk areas. Thankfully, I am in the female size range, and have had voice therapy. I've been really fortunate.
Gwen
Before we all get too complacent
It would do well to remember that in many countries around the world people are being hurt or killed simply because they are different and that applies to all categories of LGBT people, especially those of colour. Even in countries which one would expect more sophistication, like Poland, there are groups who directly attack LGBT groups or people. In the UK, the TERFs are still trying to suggest that gender identity is irrelevant and the sex you are born is all that matters and that trans women who are attracted to female partners can't be lesbian because they are male.
I accept that some of their malice comes from bad experiences and fear but at the same time I doubt any of it is caused from trans women, who are more vulnerable than they are. I have lived exclusively as a female for 35 years, longer than some of these women have been alive, how dare they believe they have the right to discount all of that and consider that even after surgery, 30 years ago, I am still male. I think I would disagree and as far as I am concerned, it may be poor science fact, but I am female, so they can stick that wherever they like and sit on it, and the UK law supports my assertion.
Angharad