Next Little Hurdle -- Job Application M or F?

[Jessica_Grl]

figured i would ask what would you do if you were in my shoes? -- I know its neither here nor there, but My name change is June 4th, 2012, and I am waiting for applying for new job untill then, but what would you do?

My marker "M" is still going to be "M" on my drivers licence, but my name will be Jessica Annette. I didnt have the funds to hire a lawyer in texas to change that to a "F". I do know that after my name change i will get my letter from my doc and get passport with "F" on it. and I know once my name is actually changed in Texas, it will be easier to get a "F" later down the road, even without surgery (gotta work save up $$$ for GCS / SRS)

so my thoughts is that when a job application asks if M or F i should put F anyways or maybe i should just leave that part blank and let the interviewer figure it out durring the interview.

My current carreer path is 18wheeler / truck driver -- and texas is pretty tricky to get the M changed to F without the surgery -- atleast im starting down my road and getting my name change first :)

i think i should just leave the M or F section blank, but i do have walking papers from my therapist and i aint going to hide myself anymore :)

[Stephenie S]

Do you live in the USA? If so, you HAVE to apply with the gender that SS has on record. If you don't I think your employer will get a ding from the US government about the discrepancy. Now your name is another matter. A legal name change is just that. Legal. Take your court documents to your local SS office and they will change the name on your records quickly. You will get a new SS card displaying your new name. (Same number though.)

What the heck are "walking papers"? That usually means you are free to leave, and quickly. Your boyfriend gives you your walking papers. That means get out. Or maybe you give HIM his walking papers. Did your shrink tell you to get out?

S

[Jessica_Grl]

What the heck are "walking papers"? That usually means you are free to leave, and quickly. Your boyfriend gives you your walking papers. That means get out. Or maybe you give HIM his walking papers. Did your shrink tell you to get out?

S

thanks for heads up, i guess i should leave it blank and let them fill it out at the interview, the walking papers is what my therapist calls them, they are papers with no legal backbone but state that no mater the "M" or not that i am a Transexual woman under her care and that as such i should be treated with all the benifets and privaliges as any other woman --- i mainly keep them in case mall security or somebody like a officer of law has a problem with me using the womans restroom -- but like i said, there is no real legal backbone to that letter, just a security cushion signed from my therapist.

thanks again for your help

[DeeDee1974]

I'm pretty sure that legally you don't have to answer any of those questions regarding gender and race.

When I started my transition I was unemployed and looking. I just told any perspective employers that called me straight up what I was going through. In the end it worked to my advantage because my current employer hired me to work in their diversity training group in human resources. My masters is in employee labor relations and I would have been working with management when determining compensation with our union employees. Instead I get to travel to all of our offices and teach employees how to deal with LGBT employees, offer support to those coming out and go to college campuses recruiting LGBT students.

Very different than your line of work, but honesty worked for me.

[arbon]

Do you live in the USA? If so, you HAVE to apply with the gender that SS has on record. If you don't I think your employer will get a ding from the US government about the discrepancy.

S

Are they still doing that? I was under the impression that they stopped. Link - Social Security Ends Gender "No-Match" Letters, White House "Welcomes This Move" (http://metroweekly.com/poliglot/2011/09/social-security-ends-gender-no.html)

[CharleneT]

thanks for heads up, i guess i should leave it blank and let them fill it out at the interview, the walking papers is what my therapist calls them, they are papers with no legal backbone but state that no mater the "M" or not that i am a Transexual woman under her care and that as such i should be treated with all the benifets and privaliges as any other woman --- i mainly keep them in case mall security or somebody like a officer of law has a problem with me using the womans restroom -- but like i said, there is no real legal backbone to that letter, just a security cushion signed from my therapist.

thanks again for your help

Often these are called a 'carry letter'

They are much more for your own confidence, few ever have to use them.

[RachelOKC]

As was recommended to me by my counselor at the Transgender Economic Empowerment Initiative in San Francisco; enter details that match your legal documents as they are at the time you filled out the application. This is a hedge against an employer claiming later that you falsified application documents.

[SandraAbsent]

Do you live in the USA? If so, you HAVE to apply with the gender that SS has on record

This is completely inaccurate. See the link provided above.

In terms of applying for a job, you do not have to legally disclose your gender. As a matter of fact, its illegal to ask.
Another common misunderstanding is the use of an assumed name. FALSE. You can use any name you want to in the application process. You can even sign a contract under an assumed name, provided there is no intent to defraud. So now that we have that cleared up, on to when you actually get the job.

Unfortunately this is where you and I are stuck. No gender marker change leaves us in a position of exposure. The biggest culprits? The federally required I9, insurance paperwork, and company insurance policies, and for you...verification of your CDL. The I9 is a little easier to work around because if you have your gender marker changed on a passport, that is the only document you need to provide. (1 from list A, or 1 from list B and one from list C!) Passport gender marker change only requires a statement from your physician. http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/first/first_5100.html

In terms of insurance, most of us get stuck here, and as far as having to validate a CDL, I wouldn't even know where to begin to offer advice. All we can hope for is that we made such a positive impact in the interview, that these little details are overlooked.

[Julia_in_Pa]

Theresa (Arbon) is absolutely correct.

This was accomplished last year.

If you have your name changed and your drivers license reads female as the gender marker it's none of your potential employer's damn business.
If you do not have official documentation showing gender marker change DO NOT MARK FEMALE on your job application!!
" False " information even though it's true will cause you not to be hired.

If you reside in a state without gender marker allowances prior to surgery you must have surgery prior to obtaining a female gender marker on your driver's license.
All states require two forms of id showing who and what you are.
Those documents are either a birth certificate or passport along with your non expired drivers license.

Passports will allow for gender marker change prior to surgery with a physician's signature but you are still in need of changing your drivers license ID marker in order to satisfy the two ID requirement.

Solution? First move to a state with a driver's license gender change law then, once obtained, apply for a pass port.
Now you have the two ID's required by all states in order to obtain your CDL in the state of Texas.

Is there currently any other way around this?

No


Julia

[Nicki S]

A voters card is considered a Govt ID and in Florida, it was quite simple to change my name on such. So this could help you with the 2 ID's that Julia referred to. I didnt need my DL to change my passport.

[SandraAbsent]

In terms of applying for a job, you do not have to legally disclose your gender. As a matter of fact, its illegal to ask.

I should clarify this. Its not illegal to ask gender on an application, it is illegal to require an answer or base your hiring decision on the answer you provide or lack there of.


A voters card is considered a Govt ID and in Florida, it was quite simple to change my name on such. So this could help you with the 2 ID's that Julia referred to. I didnt need my DL to change my passport.

Please see this:
http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/secondary_evidence/secondary_evidence_4315.html

Unacceptable Documents

The following will not be accepted as secondary evidence of U.S. citizenship:

Voter registration card
Army discharge paper
Social Security Card

[Stephenie S]

Are they still doing that? I was under the impression that they stopped. Link - Social Security Ends Gender "No-Match" Letters, White House "Welcomes This Move" (http://metroweekly.com/poliglot/2011/09/social-security-ends-gender-no.html)

Oh. Good news! It's about time.

S

[Jessica_Grl]

kewel, thanks everybody, i got me some more homework to do --- thanks again, much appreciated
Jessica Annette <--- legal name on June 4th -- next monday :)