And so it was done

[Suzanne F]

Congratulations Sue!

[PaulaQ]

Congratulations Sue. This is a milestone I have not yet reached, but I certainly look forward to it. I'm really happy for you, hon!

[Nigella]

Another tick in the long list of things to do. Congratulations

[jules]

I would also love to say congratulations and I hope there will be many years of happiness to follow.

Hugs
Julie

[Bria]

What lovely little gift from your wife, your story brought a tear to my eye!!

Hugs, Bria

[Michelle_CD]

Congrats Sue!

[PretzelGirl]

Wow! I applied for my passport a week ago Friday and got it today. For anyone looking to do it soon, I paid for expedite, but not for faster postage. That was faster than I could have planned for. I now understand some other's feelings. I got the gender letter from the doctor and I was very happy. I got the court order for name change and kicked up my heels in the parking lot. I got the passport with picture, name, and gender in one spot, and I cried. Now for the never ending task of changing my name everywhere.

[LeaP]

I got to use a service company for my last passport update. I had to travel on short notice and my passport was expiring. So the company paid to get it done next day. They contacted the company, I filled out the renewal, got a fresh picture, they picked up the package, and delivered the passport the following day. Amazing. And about $500, if I recall. I don't think I'll be so lucky the next time around.

[phylis anne]

Hello Sue,
congradulations on your now being official being a newbie here I am very green with envy for good luck and enjoy your new self
phylis

[LeaP]

Congratulations, Sue (can't believe I forgot to include that!)!!!

One thing I didn't understand - you mentioned gender change having limited value when describing the courtroom scene. Limited value?

[PretzelGirl]

Thank you Lea! Well, I haven't done a deep research into it. But as I went through all the documentation requirements, I couldn't find one thing that would take a legal declaration as being a valid way to change gender. My birth certificate requires surgery and that is Massachusetts, at least what I find on-line. I do want to follow-up with a phone call to make sure it is current. I can use a doctor's letter to change gender on the Social Security rolls and on the Passport. The Passport can be used as the validating document for everything else that I have found to this point.

So not doing the gender in court could turn out to be a mistake as I go along, I admit. We will have to see. I went through multiple sites - TSRoadMap, Transgender Education Associates (a Utah Advocacy Group), and all the specific sites to read each requirement and made my plan. When I went in court, I didn't know I could do it and after he explained it, but said I would have to go away and come back, I wasn't having any of that. But something could pop up and I could regret it. So for anyone else in Utah, I will recommend they do it while doing the name change. I later talked with a friend of mine who is a law school grad working on her bar and also is transitioned. She said you actually have to edit the name change form, so you can't find the instructions on the court's web site. She might write a how-to and I will save that off for others. I am not too surprised that the court does not have instructions on-line. It is probably kind of rare in their eyes.

[BLUE ORCHID]

Hi Sue, Congratulations , You are really living the dream now.

[LeaP]

Superb explanation, Sue, thank you.