Not quite the end

[Nigella]

I posted a time line for my journey on the UKs care pathway here

Well the final tick on this little list was completed on Monday, 11 month after surgery I was discharged from the clinic. I have been quite fortunate that, apart from losing a little depth, there have been no issues, all is working well

So why the title "not quite the end", well that all elusive "F" is still missing from my birth certificate. Oh how slow do the wheels of bureaucracy turn. It is a little over a year ago that the UK joined the human race and accepted same sex marriage. The first of these took place in March of this year. Part of the legislation allowed for TSs to remain married and change their birth certificate. Previously we had to divorce, but even though we can now have same sex marriage, it will not be until Dec this year when they finally catch up and allow TS's to be recognised as female and stay married.

Watch this space

[Sandra]

it will not be until Dec this year when they finally catch up and allow TS's to be recognised as female and stay married.

Watch this space

Be a nice Christmas present

[Starling]

Congratulations, Nigella. Though the wheels of UK bureaucracy--like justice--may grind exceeding slow, at least you have a national government; so the recognition of transwomen as female, like the legalization of same-sex marriage, will prevail from Land's End to John o' Groats. In the US we have a tiny Red State problem. Thirty of the fifty States have regressive laws regarding sex, gender and marriage--some of them to our international discredit only recently enacted through the initiative process--just as fully thirty-six States refused to create health insurance exchanges under the Affordable Care Act, which would have helped their poorer-and-sicker-than-US-average populations get decent medical care for the first time in their lives. And now the States where the Federal government had to set up exchanges are fighting to close them.

Talk about Devolution! The US has gradually become no longer a nation, but a collection of warring fiefdoms.

Lallie

[Aimee20]

Congrats, I can't imagine what it must be like to finally reach the last leg of this journey. I also have to second what startling wrote about the US. It really saddens me that a country supposedly founded on civil freedoms could turn around and argue for the legalized discrimination of any group of people.

[kimdl93]

Well, one more tic to go. Congratulations on coming so far.

[PretzelGirl]

Oh the red tape! Congratulations! One more step......

[Eryn]

Congratulations! The light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter, and it doesn't appear to be a train!

[Rianna Humble]

Congratulations on being discharged from the clinic. It might be another 5 months before you can be certified, but at least it is going to be possible now.

[I Am Paula]

Congratulations!! Jumping thru' that many hoops must get tiring after a while. I feel for you. It is hard to believe that so much time and energy is spent by governments on something as simple as gender. Like mis-pricing a pair of shoes, they should be able to peel off the old label, and apply a new one, with little thought, or ceremony.

At least it's comforting to know that change is in the wind.

I'm in Ontario, Canada. The forward thinking province of a fairly liberal country. My sex is determined by me. If a Dr. or therapist agrees, they write me a letter, and I can change my name and all my ID, including birth certificate. I know girls that got there gender change letter the day they were prescribed HRT. My marriage became same-sex by default when I transitioned. When I changed my sex designation on my Social Ins. Card, Ottawa amended my tax records, and I carry on paying my taxes as a couple.

As the world moves forward into new legislation for trans people, they ought to look at Ontario as a model for reasonable practices.

[Cheryl123]

I'm so happy for you Nigella. Governments are crazy. At least in the UK you only have one. Over here we have 50 and the gender rules are different in almost everyone of them. In my case I can get my gender changed on my drivers license with a letter from a therapist, surgery is not required. And with the drivers license I can now get my passport change (or so I've been told). But to get my birth cert changed I will need surgery (which I plan to have anyway), but then I will need to live in the state where I was born for 6 months and then petition the court. This I will never do, not even to get that elusive "F". If I really need it, I'll hire a forger (just kidding, of course! I think) Anyway, I'm glad you have reached the end of the tunnel, and I would use the tunnel and train joke but Eryn stole it from me .. lol.

[Nigella]

Thanks for the responses folks, I am patient so the "F" will come,