Hello! + Concerns about name/gtag changes.

[KlevrKaeioua]

Hello all,

This thread: https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,198569.0.html, has already been relatively useful for me (and inspired me after a great deal of time to finally make an account and post something), adding to my own legal research, however, I do have a few unknowns floating about, in case anyone might have any comments/answers.

I will start with mild backstory context.

I am in WA.
I have been living, dressing, acting, speaking, etc., as female for 6+ years now, since being a 'minor'.
I have been on HRT for about 6 months. (Thanks to finally having the financial capacity to maintain HRT)
I have been quite aesthetically feminine through the years, and also had minimal damages caused by t.
I have never seen any doctor of any sort since I was about 10 years old.  I have near-perfect health, to the point of having immunity to all the common sicknesses (I do just fine being sneezed on by someone with the flu for example).
I have a very minimalistic, care-filled nourishment lifestyle. (I eat very little, and very healthfully, feel great, and look reasonable)
I have never seen any form of a therapist or psychiatrist, and I had never intended to do so.

When I was no longer a 'minor', about 5 years ago, I severed /all/ ties with everyone I knew before that moment and have lived freely ever since with no further judgement and emotional massacre from said individuals who were obviously unsupportive.  I have never regretted this choice in any way, and only because of that choice, I have a bright future available to me.  No one that I have known since that date has ever met me, known me, or seen me as anything but female, never even been suggested or questioned about it. (Yes, I have been avidly careful who sees any Government IDs, so annoying.  -_- )

I say all of this, because, somehow, with all of that detail, and more that I could explain about how I am actually having a very reasonable and simple, borderline 'easy' time completing transition (after all the hard, painful, and confusing decisions years ago), it all amounts to absolute zero in the face of the governing parties looming overhead.



My plan was/is as follows:

Wait for the gender tag change because /I thought/, that surgery was required before the tag could be changed. (somehow I misunderstood that detail, until the thread linked above.)   ?_?   (my confused face)

Get my name changed during this current year. (I never knew just to change name you had to have some gender related documentation?, I thought that any US Citizen could have a name change processed with some cash and a long wait in line.)

While I would 'do anything' to obtain the proper gender tag on legal documents, I can do without as it is rather easy to let that slide in my experience so far.

I am planning on following up the name change with the relevant change with the SSA, of course.  However, I will be also filing a request for a new ssn due to certain parties taking extreme measures to harm me physically due to my gender (this is obviously some of what triggered my complete severance of all past relations with any 'human').

I most certainly have no capacity to obtain any 'signing-off' by an 'MD', not to mention, I am stockpiled way ahead on my HRT supplies, so it would be even more financially awkward to try and get an MD to prescribe different/additional material, and everything else that goes into following the medical systems oft peculiar methods of addressing needs.  So what exactly is this form, what are they signing off on, is there any way around having to be monitored by said MD on said MD's prescription, for unknown and likely undesirable period of time?



So why am I here instead of with an attorney?  Honestly, financial limitations.  That is all.  Fortunately, the immense trouble that has bestowed itself upon me since the choice of whether to exist this way or not was never provided to me before I was placed into this world with incorrect physical parts and a disturbed hormonal concoction, has actually helped me to become a strong, and superior person than I would have been had I procured the correct everything all those years ago.

Thank you for listening.  =)

I want to make the very best decisions possible, and I am excessively patient and careful about each step that I take in life.
So I want to fill in the gaps on this topic, make some final decisions about how to approach the legal process, etc., and overall obtain a bit more direction since I have not gotten the clearest of information on the matter.
If someone were to have any feedback, comments, advice, suggestions, replies  .... *grabs a thesaurus*  O_O ...
... okay, okay, so what I mean is, a pre-emptive: "<3 thank you! <3"!

[DriftingCrow]

Hi Klevr, welcome to SP.  I am kind of confused as to what advice you're looking for? 

You can change your name without needing to change your gender marker at the same time.  Pay your money and wait in line, basically.  I am unsure of what requirements are needed for a gender marker change in WA (and too lazy at the moment to look it up), but sometimes it's really easy overall to get the requirements in -- some require no surgery at all. 

[KlevrKaeioua]

Thank you for the comment.
Basically I wanted to know if there was any relevance to what I likely misread/misunderstood from another thread on this forum.  Effectively, this has been clarified by some other re-research I did, as well as your comment here.

The further curiosity, is as follows:
What does 'completed transition' mean?
What is typically required to get such an indicative document signed?
If an MD is truly required to sign of on such a document, then:
   What do they look for to determine, 'completion'?
   Will they require you to be medicated through the specific MD for a minimum period of time?
   Will they look at your femininity, judge the status, and then if they cannot tell you used to look different, sign off?  o_O 

Anyway, perhaps that simplifies my remaining curiosities better.

=)

[Mariah]

Surgery isn't required for gender marker change on birth certificate or ID's in the state of Washington. Just need a doctor to sign off in regards to you have the necessary medical treatment for said switch. Hugs
Mariah

[itsApril]

Hi, KlevrKaeioua!

Here ya go!

Info on change of Washington state drivers license/identity card:
http://www.dol.wa.gov/driverslicense/genderchange.html

Change of gender identification request form:
http://www.dol.wa.gov/forms/500043.pdf

Yes, in Washington it appears you do have to have a medical practitioner sign off on the request.  However, they accept quite a range of practitioners:

Medical physician
Internist
Endocrinologist
Gynecologist
Urologist
Osteopathic Physician
Psychiatrist
Psychologist
Washington state licensed naturopathic physician
Washington state licensed advanced registered nurse practitioner
Washington state licensed physician assistant
Washington state licensed certified osteopathic physician assistant

The form is rather vague about what the doc has to certify.  She/he just has to certify you have undergone "the appropriate gender transition clinical treatment," and check a box to certify that you should be considered "male" or "female."  (I guess what "appropriate" means is left up to the doc.)  There's no requirement on the certification form that GCS has been performed, nor is there any requirement for a humiliating check of body parts or anything like that.  Washington apparently has pretty progressive state laws about gender issues.

Since a doc's participation is required, you will probably have to abandon your stealth HRT program.  Actually, that's a good thing.  I know you say you are in remarkably good health, and I don't doubt your word.  But please don't be a hero!  Everybody should have a doctor and get at least a checkup every now and then.  Lots of serious medical conditions can develop for a long time without noticeable symptoms and can become unnecessarily serious if neglected.

Hormones are serious drugs!  You should have some sort of medical supervision in taking them.

Let me just say one last thing about doctors.  Men are famously resistant to going to the doctor.  I know, because I used to live as one. (As a man, not as a doctor! [giggle!])  If you talk to women about this, they have a much more realistic view and are less resistant to getting medical attention.  I repeat, please don't be a hero!  Heroes sometimes end up dead, and you deserve a long and happy life ahead of you!

Do you have medical insurance?  It's required now under the Affordable Care Act, and the cost is subsidized by the government if you are financially constrained.  It really is "affordable."  And with insurance, a lot of the costs you worry about will not be a major problem.

Please come in from the cold!

[Mariah]

Yes, that is correct that it is up to the doctor. Hugs
Mariah

Hi, KlevrKaeioua!

Here ya go!

Info on change of Washington state drivers license/identity card:
http://www.dol.wa.gov/driverslicense/genderchange.html

Change of gender identification request form:
http://www.dol.wa.gov/forms/500043.pdf

Yes, in Washington it appears you do have to have a medical practitioner sign off on the request.  However, they accept quite a range of practitioners:

Medical physician
Internist
Endocrinologist
Gynecologist
Urologist
Osteopathic Physician
Psychiatrist
Psychologist
Washington state licensed naturopathic physician
Washington state licensed advanced registered nurse practitioner
Washington state licensed physician assistant
Washington state licensed certified osteopathic physician assistant

The form is rather vague about what the doc has to certify.  She/he just has to certify you have undergone "the appropriate gender transition clinical treatment," and check a box to certify that you should be considered "male" or "female."  (I guess what "appropriate" means is left up to the doc.)  There's no requirement on the certification form that GCS has been performed, nor is there any requirement for a humiliating check of body parts or anything like that.  Washington apparently has pretty progressive state laws about gender issues.

Since a doc's participation is required, you will probably have to abandon your stealth HRT program.  Actually, that's a good thing.  I know you say you are in remarkably good health, and I don't doubt your word.  But please don't be a hero!  Everybody should have a doctor and get at least a checkup every now and then.  Lots of serious medical conditions can develop for a long time without noticeable symptoms and can become unnecessarily serious if neglected.

Hormones are serious drugs!  You should have some sort of medical supervision in taking them.

Let me just say one last thing about doctors.  Men are famously resistant to going to the doctor.  I know, because I used to live as one. (As a man, not as a doctor! [giggle!])  If you talk to women about this, they have a much more realistic view and are less resistant to getting medical attention.  I repeat, please don't be a hero!  Heroes sometimes end up dead, and you deserve a long and happy life ahead of you!

Do you have medical insurance?  It's required now under the Affordable Care Act, and the cost is subsidized by the government if you are financially constrained.  It really is "affordable."  And with insurance, a lot of the costs you worry about will not be a major problem.

Please come in from the cold!

[itsApril]

Can't remember whether you said you were born in Washington.  In case you were, here's the link for information from the WA Department of Health about changing your Washington state birth certificate to reflect your new gender:

http://www.doh.wa.gov/LicensesPermitsandCertificates/BirthDeathMarriageandDivorce/GenderChange

They want a letter from a doctor stating that you have received "appropriate" gender therapy/treatment.  Once again, there's no expressed requirement of surgery.  As with the drivers license process, the state seems to think if your gender is okay with the doc, it's okay with them, too.  Having a corrected birth certificate and state id would be very helpful when you get around to straightening out Social Security records.

[KlevrKaeioua]

Much thanks for the replies, very helpful and really clarified what all that was about!

[itsApril]

Good luck!  [kiss!]