Climbing the Transition Ladder

[Sara Olivia]

After a few months of waiting I finally received in the mail that official certificate making Sara Olivia my new legal first and middle name. I'm really excited about this step and just wanted to share with you all. Now I'm waiting for a similar certificate for my change of gender to female and then I will face the administrative nightmare of changing all government identification documents to match my new name and gender. I did not realize just how many identification documents I needed to change until I thought about it and looked at the list of documents to update that the government sent along with the certificate of my new name. An endless list. Of course, relatively speaking, this is all still the easy part. The surgeries is when things will really begin to get serious. Anyways I'm happy that another checkmark can be checked off the list of all the things that I will have to deal with in the next few years.

[Elizabeth G]

Congratulations Sara - that's wonderful!

[Pat]

Congratulations! I'm finding I have to develop some serenity on the document changes -- the major ones are obvious but the rest are like playing whack-a-mole (Oh yeah, voter list. Oh yeah, library card. Oh yeah...)

[Mirya]

Congratulations! When I think back to all the milestones in my transition, the day of my legal name and gender change was by far the happiest.

[pamela7]

congratulations. so many forms and organisations, banks, pension funds, allsorts.

[Kaitlyn Michele]

Think of those forms as progress. They matter. They are confirmation of what you've always known to be true and of who you really are. Pain in the butt ot get sometimes, but worth it.

[MssHyde]

Good for you i have a paper from my Doctor that Im female but i have not taken the steps to make it legal.

Your really cute also I happy for you

[Danni Renee]

Congratulations! I have my name change court date this Thursday and I am excited but like you I saw the list of updates I need to make and wow, it is overwhelming.

[Sara Olivia]

Another big day last week with the arrival of the document stating that my gender had now been legally changed to female. And I now have a new drivers license legally identifying me as Sara Olivia, sex female. I'm really thrilled about that. Next step, a new passport and changing all my banking information and credit cards to the new name. I think all the hard work is just beginning but will all be worth it in the end.

Pat, oh wow I didn't even think of things like voters lists, library cards and memberships. It is kind of like playing whack-a-mole.

Mirya, of the milestones I've had so far this is probably the happiest for me as well. In a way having this new legal name and identity somehow feels validating. While I was not, nor any of us were ever men, I still sometimes can't help feeling that to other women I'm a man in their private spaces when using the ladies bathroom. Now I am one step closer to feeling that I truly belong there when out in the world.

Kaitlyn I really like your comment. As annoying as the forms are they certainly do represent progress. Its always embarrassing to hand someone a debit card that has a male name on it and get odd looks from the sales staff. Its all but impossible to always use cash so I find all too many of these embarrassing moments. It will be so good to have debit and credit cards with the correct name.

Danni, Interesting that in the US you have a court hearing for legally changing your name. I just had to fill out a bunch of forms have them notarized then submit them to the government . Best of luck next Thursday and let us know how it goes.

[Dorit]

I am a bit late as usual because of the huge time difference, but congratulation on your name change! I can only imagine how significant this is in day to day life. Coincidentally, I have an appointment that I made two months ago for March 19 with the Israel Ministry of Interior to do my legal name change. If there are no complications, I will walk out with a new identity card and passport with my female name. I will let you all know what happens, and of course, my new name!