About to open the process to change my legal name!

[Bird]

Yep!

I have spoken with lawyers, have nearly all the paper stuff I need collected and I am hopeful I can get my name changed before the end of the next year. Now I won't be changing my gender marker YET, but according to Brazilian law a name change is very possible!

My major justification to appeal for this will be that I am going to work as a doctor and as such, my legal name is always going to be public and it will be embarassing and a hindrance to my work to have a male name with a female appearance. Considering Brazil -always- needs new doctors, and considering I am full time and mentally stable, and considering I have a psychiatrist and a gender therapist report that attests to this, and a large amount of declarations from medicine students, nurses, doctors, that attest to this, AND pictures... I think I will pull it off.

The gender marker could still give me problems, but having a female name associated with my image is what I need to work in peace, the rest will solve itself given time.

[Paul]

Congrats!

I did the paperwork with the attorney about a month ago and he got the letter from my Therapist last Monday so I'm hoping the judge in my county doesn't take too long.  The attorney said it could take up to 2 months (which I'm hoping it doesn't).  It'd be awesome if it happened in a month though because my birthday is in the middle of January and how awesome of birthday present would that be?!    I work at a residence so all of my payroll stuff has to have my birth name until it's official, but on everything else I can write Paul and even my work email says Paul and people refer to me as Paul and "he".  It's an awesome feeling!

[Constance]

Congratulations, Bird! This is wonderful news!

[Lynne]

Congratulations!

Something caught my eye: "I am hopeful I can get my name changed before the end of the next year.".
You mean you have to prove to the court that you are better off with a female name, and that takes one year alone and you can't even change the gender marker along with it?
That sounds like a nerve wrecking experience to me, I hope all things will work out for you.

Hahh.. and sometimes transsexuals in my country are outraged that it can take 1-2(or sometimes more) months to change name and gender marker by mailing 3 medical reports to the government.
I always tell them that they should be happy because it takes waaay more dedication to legally transition in any other country in the world and our foreign brothers and sisters don't complain as much as we do.

[Felix]

Grats Bird!

I'm filing next week. I'm lucky in that my main problem is financial expense. I don't have to prove very much to change my name or gender marker, and after I go to court and pay the fees, I should be able to go before a judge and have the whole thing done within a few months.

Your life will be so much better. Good luck in your medical career. That'll be better too.

[Bird]

Thanks everyone!

Anne: What can I say? One person heaven can be another's hell.

For a long time I was happy merely with being able to speak with my own voice and face myself on the mirror. I still am, because my dysphoria was horrible. Brazil still is a country in development, and I suppose I could have been born really poor AND trans AND black AND daughter to a criminal. Or I could have a disease that didn't allow me to do HRT, or maybe my body didn't accept the hormones for whatever reason.

Or maybe my friend from University wouldn't be at MSN to talk to me at 3 am that fateful night that saved my life.

Here in Brazil, you are lucky to get a endo to help you, even more lucky if you change your name at the mark of 9 months of HRT. Regarding the situation of trans people here, I'm doing it really fast.

The law here allows the gender change ONLY with SRS, and until recently the same went for the name. I have to take what I am allowed to, and I am going for it. My parents by the way, will throw the hugest fit in the millenia once they find out.

That marker doesnt shows up in brazilian ID's anyway, so to hell with it!

[Bird]

@Felix
Yes things will be much MUCH easier after this. Even regarding my own peace of mind.

The whole thing here takes in between 3 to 6 months, if it is won locally. If the local judge for some reason doesn't approves, I have to go for a tribune of the estate and after that the federal one. It is possible I might make it locally, because I am the first person to do this kind of thing in the town I live.

The thing that I believe will end up saving me is the medical profession, because due to it, I am obligued to show my name to patients. Considering doctors are needed, I think it is rational to allow for a name change.