Six month count down to SRS

[Karen__Starr]

Back in December of last year I got a date for SRS (with Marci Bowers) surgery for 1/27/2015. Now that the date is getting closer I realize that rather than later I need to begin research on changing legal documents in regards to name and gender change (and I got this from a book I recently read), other documents that bare my current name i.e. a diploma and then there is things like work history.

Anyone have any wisdom, insight or tips they like to share on this?

[Leanne2]

Karen, Sorry, no tips from this non-transitioning woman, but I will wish you good luck on your journey. Remember. you have always been a woman. Now you are getting your birth defect corrected. Again, good luck girl! Leanne

[Kimberly Kael]

Pick your battles. Make lists of everywhere you can think of that has a record of your name, and put them in priority order. You'll never get them all so start with the ones that matter most to you like: forms of identification, bank, credit cards, and other financial institutions, utilities (and anyone else you get bills from), former employers and schools you attended, air miles accounts, AAA, etc. Transitioning is full of opportunities to improve your organizational skills, and this is one of them!

[PretzelGirl]

Look up what you need for your driver's license to change your name and gender in your state. Here is Utah, it requires a surgery letter, which is very common. But like Social Security, a passport only requires a letter from a MD stating you are female. Then you can usually leverage that passport to get your license changed.

I am with Kimberly on the list. I have an ongoing one. I also have already started changing my name on things that don't matter legally. It makes it a little easier for me as I am doing those as I run into them instead of working down a list. Things like rewards programs, the tire shop, etc. Those are probably the ones that take forever, so I will just knock them down as I see them.

[Jorja]

First, you do not say where you are located. Requirements, while similar, vary from state to state and country to country. Go to your state and local government offices and ask what the requirements are or check their websites (websites may not have enough information for someone changing gender). For diplomas check with the University or school issuing the diploma. Again this will vary between institutions. Remember to include any professional organizations that you may be a member of.

[stefan37]

My legal name change was official in Sept. There is still things that surface I need to change. Time frames may vary, but I notice it takes about 3 months to get the courts to make it official. Then from experience easily 6 months to get all the major stuff done. There are still many things I never changed like house title, marriage cert (soon to be divorce cert) and some utility accounts.

It is an moderate to easy process, but it becomes extremely tedious. And seems like it never ends.

[arbon]

I'm a little confused, your having srs in 6 months but have not changed your name yet?
Am I undertstanding that right?

[Karen__Starr]

Thanks for the thoughts, I appreciate them. In regards to my location, I have updated my profile (I am in Oregon USA).

I'm a little confused, your having srs in 6 months but have not changed your name yet?
Am I undertstanding that right?

Yes you are correct. I did not want to go through name change then do gender change, my decision is to do both together. I am taking one month off but will be working with our human resources department (have been talking to my union representative on this to get things started) during this month and other entities such as Department of Transportation, my doctor, dentist and eye doctor to start with. So that give me a three week start.

My legal name change was official in Sept. There is still things that surface I need to change. Time frames may vary, but I notice it takes about 3 months to get the courts to make it official. Then from experience easily 6 months to get all the major stuff done. There are still many things I never changed like house title, marriage cert (soon to be divorce cert) and some utility accounts.

It is an moderate to easy process, but it becomes extremely tedious. And seems like it never ends.

Thanks for sharing. I had a feeling the process would take some time to get through.

[Angela Campbell]

I changed the major stuff in the first month. Name, ss name and gender, dl, bank, credit card, utilities, insurance, the first week of my legal name change. The rest is still ongoing and some may never get changed. I did this in Jan of this yr.

[Jorja]

Karen,
I came across this http://www.resourcespdx.org/non-medi...sex-oregon-id/ it may help you.

[Karen__Starr]

Thank you very much Jora, I should had thought about the Q-Center so it just goes to show I did the right thing by asking my question here :-)

Thanks Angela, that is about what I have thought of so far. Thinking SS, three years ago Oregon changed how you renewed your DL and needed a SS card, I could not believe how difficult they made it to renew my DL but did finally get it down.

Thanks for sharing :-)

[Angela Campbell]

In Florida i had to do it in order. Went to court for name change, then streight to SS to change that. You must do that at least a day before the dl, next day to dmv and bank. After that most was done over phone email and fax.

[KellyJameson]

Washington,Oregon and California are less barbaric than some of the others states, making the process less humiliating and cumbersome. I still hired an attorney to avoid the stress.

Here is a link you may find useful. http://www.drbecky.com/birthcert.html

[Kimberly Kael]

Yet another resource that might come in handy: http://transgenderlawcenter.org/issues/id/id-please.

[Jorja]

Great find Kimberly. Where the he!! was all of this information 30 years ago?

Do understand that the guide is only for California but can be used as a guide almost anywhere in the US of A.

[Aprilrain]

Congratulations! Hope all goes well for you, mine is in October so I know how you feel.

[Persephone]

Karen, best thoughts and wishes will be with you!

Yet another resource that might come in handy: http://transgenderlawcenter.org/issues/id/id-please.

Thank you, thank you, Kimberly! Having seen their guide before I was going to skip your link, but clicked on it and surprise!, they just updated it! Perfect!

Hugs,
Persephone.

[Kimberly Kael]

Thank you, thank you, Kimberly! Having seen their guide before I was going to skip your link, but clicked on it and surprise!, they just updated it! Perfect!

I've been a financial supporter of the TLC for several years and a member of their board of directors is a good friend, so I'm firmly on their mailing list. I tend to get updates pretty much the moment they have good news. ;-)

Back to the original subject of the thread. While I'm happy to help with general insight into the name change process, I do share the concerns others have raised here about scheduling SRS before living full time as a woman. The standards of care were established not as a speed bump, but based on what tends to work. They're not universally applicable, but there's a lot to be said for adjusting socially before committing to irreversible physical changes. I'd be interested in more of the back story about why this felt like the right way of going about your transition, Karen.