Since I will be having general anesthetic for my surgery, my wife and I decided we should finally get life insurance. We made an appointment, and saw an agent yesterday. Canada led the world with legal same sex marriage in 2005. He had about ten pages of forms, mostly the 'tick appropriate box' type. Clearly, paperwork has not quite caught up.
The questions-
Relationship to each other-Married. Not a difficult question, lots of 'ticking' then erasing, and why the nearly thirty second long pregnant pause?
To my wife. Beneficiary- Wife. I'm sorry, there's no box for that. I'll cross out husband, and pencil in........long pause.....wife.
To me. Beneficiary- Wife. Same response.
How long have you been married? Eighteen years. Oh, so you're not legally married. Yes we are. But there was no same sex marriage eighteen years ago. I used to be male....Longest pause yet...I think I'd better make a note of that, um, somewhere. (looks at blank back of paper)
A few questions later, we get to medical questions-
Any pre existing conditions. No. But you've had a sex change. That was just correcting a birth defect, I'm not sick. I have to put that down under psychiatric conditions. It won't be there. You're right, I'll pencil it in under 'other'. I'm left handed too. That doesn't matter. Why not, you think my former sex matters?
A few minutes later-
Are you having any medical or elective surgery in the next 365 days? Yes, a breast augmentation. (slides pencil up and down long list) That doesn't seem to be here. It's on the FEMALE side, I'm female. Oh, yeah, but I'll have to make a note.
There was no homophobia, transphobia, anachnaphobia, or agoraphobia in his voice, or demeanor at any time. He was trained to fill out forms, and the forms have not caught up with modern marriage, or the possibility of an applicant being trans. Poor guy probably took up drinking after we left.
I also left with the feeling that there ain't a snowball's chance in hell of me getting life insurance.
