%^&*$#@

[CaptLex]

****! I just got word that my passport application was rejected. They want me to provide proof that I've had surgery or that I'm planning to have it before they can change my passport. Grrrrr!

Guess that means I'll have to travel as a girl - even if I look like a boy. Or maybe I'll be like Elvis and never leave the country.

I'm beyond bummed out right now - where's the rum?

[Adam]

that sucks lex its not right

i got told the same thing too

[Kieron Andrew]

that sucks lex its not right

i got told the same thing too

how come you got rejected Adam, didnt you send a letter with proof from Charing Cross?

[Adam]

how come you got rejected Adam, didnt you send a letter with proof from Charing Cross?

no because i have not asked cx for a letter for the passport i should do really and see what they say about it or i could leave it untill hormones work some more. my passport sucks its in a draw annoying me being wrong

[Kieron Andrew]

no because i have not asked cx for a letter for the passport i should do really and see what they say about it or i could leave it untill hormones work some more. my passport sucks its in a draw annoying me being wrong

Chx WILL provide you with proof, ask them next time you are there or write to them

[Marla S]

Oh sh**
rum

[SirTrey]

OMG.....That is the most ridiculous thing I have heard in a long time....Government interfering in our personal lives and wanting to SUPERVISE it again....Dude, you have facial hair, a deep voice, and take TESTOSTERONE....I, for one, am outraged....and really sorry to hear it, man.

[Kieron Andrew]

****! I just got word that my passport application was rejected. They want me to provide proof that I've had surgery or that I'm planning to have it before they can change my passport. Grrrrr!

Guess that means I'll have to travel as a girl - even if I look like a boy. Or maybe I'll be like Elvis and never leave the country.

I'm beyond bummed out right now - where's the rum?

grrrr!!!!! not fair at least over here if we decide to stay non op we can apply for a gender recognition certificate to prove we are under supervision for gender issues/transitional stuff i.e on T, also we can ask our docs for letter to state we are in transition

im so sorry Lex

[kerrianna]

Aarrghhhh!!!!!! That's just bureaucratic BS.

That does it! Lex, you're just gonna have to become a pirate in real life. Pirates don't need passports!



I'm really sorry Lex. I know how important it is to you.

you too Adam




You should take the entire crew over to their offices to 'correct' their mistake.

Blackbeard_Pirates.gif

[Kate Simmons]

Bummer Lex. Just another "benefit" of homeland security. Need I say more?

[Tristan]

Lex, that makes me so blooming mad. I don't know what to say. The lack of respect that trans people get in this country infuriates me beyond words. I'm so sorry they did that to you. I say we all stock the ship with lots of ammo and swords and go pay those %$# wipes a visit!

[bi_weird]

Dude man, that really sucks. Sorry that happened...brownie to make you feel better?

[CaptLex]

I'm so glad you guys are here . . . even when the rum is gone. Thanks for the refill, Marla. And the brownie helps too, Bi.

There's a glimmer of hope on the horizon . . . I asked Greg to bring me the letter (he had read it to me over the phone) 'cause I was working late tonight. Anyway, I called the number on the letter - turns out the passport office is open till midnight (in case anyone ever needs to know that). So I spoke to a very nice man who told me that I should submit another letter from my doc explaining why I can't have the surgery, and he also suggested I submit any other letters that might help, like something from my therapist (who knows more about my situation than my doc) and a letter from work saying that I've been living as male for about a year and a half and that all my documents there have been changed, including my health insurance. He agreed that if my license (which I sent them a copy of) had been changed, then it would be confusing (not to mention nuts) to travel with conflicting documents.

He also told me that they don't run into this situation very often (really? there are how many of us . . . ? ), so take notes boys and girls here in the U.S. Then he wished me luck. So the fight's not over yet - will keep you posted. Thanks for listening.

BTW, Adam, I suggest you get the letter you need too and I hope you can have that taken care of soon.

P.S. Love the pic, Kerri!

[Tristan]

I'll be crossing all my fingers and toes for you Lex. I hope it works out and they straighten out their silly little mistake. Government can be so much red tape and hassle.

[Kieron Andrew]

I'm so glad you guys are here . . . even when the rum is gone. Thanks for the refill, Marla. And the brownie helps too, Bi.

There's a glimmer of hope on the horizon . . . I asked Greg to bring me the letter (he had read it to me over the phone) 'cause I was working late tonight. Anyway, I called the number on the letter - turns out the passport office is open till midnight (in case anyone ever needs to know that). So I spoke to a very nice man who told me that I should submit another letter from my doc explaining why I can't have the surgery, and he also suggested I submit any other letters that might help, like something from my therapist (who knows more about my situation than my doc) and a letter from work saying that I've been living as male for about a year and a half and that all my documents there have been changed, including my health insurance. He agreed that if my license (which I sent them a copy of) had been changed, then it would be confusing (not to mention nuts) to travel with conflicting documents.

He also told me that they don't run into this situation very often (really? there are how many of us . . . ? ), so take notes boys and girls here in the U.S. Then he wished me luck. So the fight's not over yet - will keep you posted. Thanks for listening.

BTW, Adam, I suggest you get the letter you need too and I hope you can have that taken care of soon.

P.S. Love the pic, Kerri!

will be hoping and praying for you lex, i mean geez how many non op Ts' are there in ur country not to mention the world

[Nicki B]

I'm so glad you guys are here . . . even when the rum is gone. Thanks for the refill, Marla. And the brownie helps too, Bi.

There's a glimmer of hope on the horizon . . . I asked Greg to bring me the letter (he had read it to me over the phone) 'cause I was working late tonight. Anyway, I called the number on the letter - turns out the passport office is open till midnight (in case anyone ever needs to know that). So I spoke to a very nice man who told me that I should submit another letter from my doc explaining why I can't have the surgery, and he also suggested I submit any other letters that might help, like something from my therapist (who knows more about my situation than my doc) and a letter from work saying that I've been living as male for about a year and a half and that all my documents there have been changed, including my health insurance. He agreed that if my license (which I sent them a copy of) had been changed, then it would be confusing (not to mention nuts) to travel with conflicting documents.

He also told me that they don't run into this situation very often (really? there are how many of us . . . ? ), so take notes boys and girls here in the U.S. Then he wished me luck. So the fight's not over yet - will keep you posted. Thanks for listening.

BTW, Adam, I suggest you get the letter you need too and I hope you can have that taken care of soon.

P.S. Love the pic, Kerri!

Lex,

I'm sorry.

My first instinct would be, push back - they're bound to be people who deal with high volumes of applications and the number like this will be, relatively, very small?

Here in the UK, there seem to be specialist offices who do have the experience - and surgery is not a requirement (there are many transfolk who, for various reasons are unwilling or unable to have surgery)?

Ask them to find someone who has dealt with this before - and can you furnish a letter from a Doctor to say that you live fulltime, take hormones, etc?


But, speaking as an outsider, I always find American bureaucracy highly intimidatory - you feel like you're dealing with a very big, thick-skinned elephant that couldn't care less about you? (Try passing Immigration on a non-US passport, at least on the East Coast - or Miami!!)

[Lovely Rita]

Very sorry to hear about this Lex.

[Laurie909]

Or maybe I'll be like Elvis and never leave the country.

He was stationed in Germany when he was in the Army. He just never toured outside of the US. That was because of Col. Tom. He was the one that couldn't leave the country.

[CaptLex]

Thanks all for your kind words, support and suggestions.

He was stationed in Germany when he was in the Army. He just never toured outside of the US. That was because of Col. Tom. He was the one that couldn't leave the country.

Yeah I know, Laurie - it was a lame joke.

Failure is just not an option - you have an unconfirmed, yet free-standing and non-cancellable reservation on a Caribbean Island with me sometime.

Tree, I'll meet you in the Caribbean if I have to swim it!

Here in the UK, there seem to be specialist offices who do have the experience - and surgery is not a requirement (there are many transfolk who, for various reasons are unwilling or unable to have surgery)?

You're absolutely right, Nicki, and I'm trying to gather as much "evidence" or at least written proof as possible to submit, but it's been a slow process. The letter from my therapist was easy to get, and I think it's the most important one because he and I have discussed my transition at length and he took the time to explain that transition doesn't necessarily equate SRS.

My doctor has been on vacation for two weeks, and I did leave her a message asking if she could provide another letter, but I don't think she can add anything to what she said in the first one. They're really asking for a letter from a surgeon (who has either done or will do SRS on me). That's not what she is, she's the doc the prescribes my hormones, but she and I have never discussed just how far I intend to transition physically. My therapist is the one that knows all that.

I asked my job for a letter simply explaining that I have changed all my papers at work to male and that I've been living as male at work for over a year. Well, I asked my supervisor who had to submit the request to the main office in Chicago - and Chicago refused to do it. Their excuses are really lame - basically, that they can't provide personal information and that if they do it for me, they'll be "opening the door" for everyone to make that request. They also said they would not give me a letter unless it was a definite "requirement" from the passport office - a specific request.

So I asked my friend, Phil (who is also a partner at the firm) for advice and he said he would call the main person in Chicago personally (when he returns from his business trip tomorrow) and try to reason with them. He told me that's all BS because they can supply personal info if it's requested by the person (me, that is) and that this would not open the door for anyone anyway 'cause there's no one else here in my situation. He also pointed out to me that, as he sees it, the letter is a "requirement" because the cumulative effect of several documents would better present my case and reverse the outcome so far.

It's so stupid, I'm not asking them to lie and say I've had surgery . . . just to confirm that this is who I am in real life and this isn't a whim, a phase or something I'll change my mind about next week. Anyway, I'm glad he wants to help me.

So that's pretty much how things stand so far. Still gathering stuff to send back to the passport office. Will keep you posted on the final verdict.

[ZenFrost]

I can't believe how annoying they're being! It's not like it's going to ruin the U.S. economy for you to change one little thing.

[Kieron Andrew]

So that's pretty much how things stand so far. Still gathering stuff to send back to the passport office. Will keep you posted on the final verdict.

i tell ya, once they finally get their finger out their butts and sort this, after all you've gone through, i'll start a bleeding whip round for you to get to england as celebratory thing lol....cos it seems to me they are quite willing to give the damn passport they just want paperwork to clog up their filing systems....idiots i tell ya

you are a non op Ts what the heck is so hard to grasp!

[CaptLex]

you are a non op Ts what the heck is so hard to grasp!

They're very uneducated. I think what's going on is that they don't see too many of these from FtMs and that the MtFs they've seen request a change in their passport have had, or will have, surgery. Our government needs to be educated about us - all of us - but mainly about transmen.

[Sarah Rabbit]

****! I just got word that my passport application was rejected. They want me to provide proof that I've had surgery or that I'm planning to have it before they can change my passport. Grrrrr!

Guess that means I'll have to travel as a girl - even if I look like a boy. Or maybe I'll be like Elvis and never leave the country.

I'm beyond bummed out right now - where's the rum?

Show them some of those expletives you put as the Thread Title, that will remove all doubt..



Sarah R.

[CaptLex]

Well, I sent all the letters I could get off to the passport office and now it's wait-and-see time again. I'll keep you all posted, but I'm not holding my breath that I'll get what I want.

[CaptLex]

Well the verdict is in . . . today I received a passport with a big fat ugly F on it. With a lovely letter explaining that it's valid for one year, during which time I'm expected to submit surgical proof of SRS. So now I feel like I've been castrated twice - once by Mother Nature and the second time by the government. So . . . where's the rum? I need to get drunk.