Male or Female?

[DebbieL]

You’re a woman/At least you say you are...
You’re a woman/At least you look like you are...
(from “Stepping Stone” by Jimi Hendrix)

I got one of those prospective juror information forms in the mail, from the District Court in Topeka, KS no less, and I was obliged to tell a little about myself, or at least check the boxes that are somewhat correct, or somehow relate to my existence. I don’t want to be a juror, but my name was chosen at random, and I have to do my “citizen” thing, you know...

I'm not sure about the laws of Kansas, but I know that in most states, the box to be checked is your "legal status". Many states only require that you have been living Real Life Experience for 6 months and be presenting as your preferred gender full time. At this point, you can get the appropriate legal documents, including change of name, change of sexual designation. This is true even before hormones have fully taken their effect or SRS. Other states are less tolerant, in some cases refusing to recognize even post SRS gender changes.

Anyway, near the bottom of the form was a place to indicate what sex I am. There was a little oval box for “male,” and another little oval box for “female.” I had to fill in one of those boxes. I’m rarely asked to indicate my gender, but here was a chance to do so. After being on this site for several years, I immediately wondered why there was no box for “transgender.” The absence of anything but a male-female choice was intriguing, to say the least...

There have been times when I have had to give my birth gender as my gender, but have ALSO had to explain elsewhere on the form that I had other aliases, including my female aliases. For Jury Duty, you should use the gender indicated on your driver's license. I suspect that if you have been presenting as female and do so when called to appear at court for Jury Duty, you will probably be dismissed. Prosecutors tend to prefer more "conservative" jurors, and defense would value your insight, but might be concerned that you would polarize the jury rather than help them find his client not guilty. Being transgendered, you have the ability to see many different sides of any situation or any problem, and question assumptions.

What if a transgender individual got a form like this, and there was no place to indicate that you are TG? Since you’re posting in this section, which implies an MtF direction, would you fill in the little box next to “female?” That seems logical, but what if the authorities, on the other end (the ones who will process this information) have no patience for anything but M or F? Keep in mind that we’re in KANSAS, not the most liberal place on Earth, and gender issues are very much cut and dried, or subjugated amidst a conformist atmosphere...

There are legal steps to changing one's gender. Normally, you need to live full time for a period before starting hormones, and some time after that before legally changing your name. There are ways to legally change your gender as well, first changing your social security records, then passports, and driver's license. The legal process takes several months. Your legal designation is accepted even prior to SRS.

There is one exception. If you have not had SRS and you are convicted of a crime, you will serve in a prison for the gender defined by your genitalia, rather than your legal or presentation status.

Of course, I know that transgender people exist, and I know they would give pause to a simple thing like “declaring” one’s gender in a public arena. The very fact that it’s either MALE or FEMALE on a juror form indicates, to me at least, that there is zero tolerance for alternatives. It may be different in other, more progressive states, but here in Kansas boys are boys and girls are girls, period. Without really saying anything, or indicating there are other ways of being, a tacit reinforcement along M-F lines is being perpetuated. Is this fair? Is this antiquated?

For transsexuals, the process of transition is something they plan, often for years. Their ultimate goal is to take all steps, hormones, procedures, and legal proceedings to permanently change to their preferred gender. For MtFs, this includes laser hair removal, electrolysis, and hormones to create breasts, along with breast augmentation surgery. For FtMs, this would include packing of breasts and eventual breast removal, hormones to produce hair on face, arms, and legs, and often gaining weight to create a more masculine looking figure.

It all seems very odd, yet revealing, to me, a person who skirts the edge of gender variance on a daily basis. I mean, on this form there were several different boxes for marital status, and many different boxes for race, but only two for gender – male or female. I know, you can’t compare apples and oranges, and there are two recognized and understood genders (as seen on TV), but what about those people who are neither one nor the other, but somewhere in-between? Is this the time to stand up and be counted, or is this the time to educate the un-listening majority about one’s interesting existence? Male or Female? Reality is infinitely more subtle...

Would you, the MtF crossdresser, fill in the box for “Male,” or the one for “Female?”

Depending on my legal status, I would check the appropriate box. I'd suggest you read "Alice in Genderland" (Amazon Books), talks in depth about the process of transition.

What did I do? I grabbed my #2 pencil and filled in “Male.” I nearly broke the lead. Next question...

Sometimes, on less "Official" documents, I'll put a question mark in the Square marked male. Honoring the legal requirement yet creating the space for a conversation.

[Krististeph]

Yes, same here, Frederique. Our state does jury pooling by voter registration. I've been called numerous times, usually just go and wait it out with a big Tom Clancy novel or some such- never got called to serve for years. I was selected as an alt once, could not claim any kind of prejudice they asked about, though i had others you might be able to guess. Didn't get called for that one either.

Then I got called right off the bat- even though i had been called as a witness in a lawsuit that was still going on, even though i said I had prejudices surrounding drug laws and the drug trade (it was a cocaine buy case). The guy had one prior for pot. We failed to find him guilty. I think both attys were leaning that way though, but the darn case still took half a day.

Gender wise- i dressed like i normally do when i go out to work, which is to say, rather drab. However, on various forms, here and there, even official ones, i've been known to 'forget' or 'miss' that particular question. hey, if it does not or should not affect the outcome- no biggie.

And after seeing the attitudes of the judge & courts, the last theng they want to do is make more work- as long as you don't _appear_ to be making a statement or anything to challenge them. Hey, people make mistakes.

[MsJanessa]

"male or female"?? Are those my only choices?

[JenniferR771]

You have not heard about AIS? Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome...its where a woman finds out she is actually a man genetically speaking. Her(his) body is not affected and not masculinized by the male hormone. The person cannot bear children. In a sense, none of us know our real sex--unless we have had a chromosome test to determine if we are XX or XY...or XXY...or XO.
When a baby is born--the nurse takes a look and checks a box. Done--usually.