State ID?

[Suzy]

So I was having lunch with some friends yesterday who brought up a point I had not considered.  They said that every pre-op TS needs to have a state ID with a feminine pic (or male as the case may be) in case they were stopped because the "Patriot Act" means that cops could legally hassle you now if the intention of your appearance is deception.  You could be considered a possible terrorist.  In my state they are fairly easy to get, though, if you have a driver's license.

Has anyone else come across this?  I travel all the time, almost never in guy mode now, and I really don't want to be considered a terrorist just for being me.

And I wonder if this might be a solution to getting on a plane without having to revert back to Testosterone mode.

Kristi

[Marlene]

So I was having lunch with some friends yesterday who brought up a point I had not considered.  They said that every pre-op TS needs to have a state ID with a feminine pic (or male as the case may be) in case they were stopped because the "Patriot Act" means that cops could legally hassle you now if the intention of your appearance is deception.  You could be considered a possible terrorist.  In my state they are fairly easy to get, though, if you have a driver's license.

Has anyone else come across this?  I travel all the time, almost never in guy mode now, and I really don't want to be considered a terrorist just for being me.

And I wonder if this might be a solution to getting on a plane without having to revert back to Testosterone mode.

You don't say what state you're in, so that makes giving advice difficult.  However, what I would do is lose your license and when you go to the DMV request a new pic at the same time.

Have you done a legal name change yet?

And as I wrote on another thread, the TSA folks mainly look for one thing: That the name on the ticket matches the name on your ID.  If you haven't done a legal name change you may want to have a carry letter from your therapist with you to explain your appearance.  If you've already done the name change all you need is update the pic (by losing the license).

Oh one more thing: Always use your legal name on travel documents!  Do not use your future name because then your ticket and ID won't match.  The TSA folks really hate mis-matches.

Hope this helps.

[Wing Walker]

So I was having lunch with some friends yesterday who brought up a point I had not considered.  They said that every pre-op TS needs to have a state ID with a feminine pic (or male as the case may be) in case they were stopped because the "Patriot Act" means that cops could legally hassle you now if the intention of your appearance is deception.  You could be considered a possible terrorist.  In my state they are fairly easy to get, though, if you have a driver's license.

Has anyone else come across this?  I travel all the time, almost never in guy mode now, and I really don't want to be considered a terrorist just for being me.

And I wonder if this might be a solution to getting on a plane without having to revert back to Testosterone mode.

You don't say what state you're in, so that makes giving advice difficult.  However, what I would do is lose your license and when you go to the DMV request a new pic at the same time.

Have you done a legal name change yet?

And as I wrote on another thread, the TSA folks mainly look for one thing: That the name on the ticket matches the name on your ID.  If you haven't done a legal name change you may want to have a carry letter from your therapist with you to explain your appearance.  If you've already done the name change all you need is update the pic (by losing the license).

Oh one more thing: Always use your legal name on travel documents!  Do not use your future name because then your ticket and ID won't match.  The TSA folks really hate mis-matches.

Hope this helps.

Hi, Kristi,

Your friends might be in error but I believe Marlene is correct, and if not, very close.

I had a passport issued in my name from a prior life.  When the court changed my name I also changed the name on my passport.  This left me with a passport that looked like I did in the past but was correct with my name.  My appearance is a whole lot different now from what it was back then.

The court not only approved my petition to change my name, it approved my request to use the "F" gender marker on my driver's license.

I also had a carry letter but I never needed it.

Bottom line:  your appearance can change and your name can change but, as Marlene said, if your tickets and other travel documents have the same name as your ID you should be OK.  If you changed your name then it should be fairly easy for any TSA officer to see that.  It might be a good idea to carry a certified copy of your name change, if you have indeed changed your name.

I, too, hope that this helps.

Wing Walker

[LostInTime]

A carry letter would help in some situations.

Most states will no longer issue an ID card if you have a driver's license.

Flying within the US does not require ID. The TSA thinks so but that is not the case. When checking in tell the person that your pocketbook, wallet, etc was stolen and you are still waiting for the replacement. You will need to go through a bit of extra screening in a separate line but that line is usually smaller so you will actually get through quicker. YMMV, lots of jerks working at the airports.

Cops have hassled before, they just use a new excuse now.

[Veronica Secret]

Thank God I don't have to deal with this crap anymore (legally female) Hopefully, the new Dem President will reverse this paranoiac BS.

[Lisbeth]

Bottom line:  your appearance can change and your name can change but, as Marlene said, if your tickets and other travel documents have the same name as your ID you should be OK.  If you changed your name then it should be fairly easy for any TSA officer to see that.  It might be a good idea to carry a certified copy of your name change, if you have indeed changed your name.

It's not that simple.  I looked female years before I got my name changed.  I was continually hastled because I had a female appearance and a male name on my IDs.  With my name change that all went away.

[straycat]

You don't say what state you're in, so that makes giving advice difficult.  However, what I would do is lose your license and when you go to the DMV request a new pic at the same time.

Have you done a legal name change yet?

Yes it depends on the state.  In my state they will not take a new picture if you lose your license.  I tried to have a new picture taken on the basis of major appearance change- before my name change.  I had people checking my ID refuse me because they said it was not my ID.  The DMV said they cannot take a new picture between normal renewals (6 years here) no matter how much you change except when you change your name or if you have a documented gain or loss of a minimum of 100 pounds.  Even when you change your address or alter the sex marker, you will get a replacement using the most recent picture.  The reasoning given to me was they kept all the pictures on file and they didn't like having extra pictures because it made identification more difficult- kind of implying that officers could access old pictures but it doesn't make sense if you don't currently look like those pictures.

[tekla]

"Patriot Act" means that cops could legally hassle you now if the intention of your appearance is deception."

Guess that's because of all of those CD/TS terrorist actions of late.  Same reason they search 80 year old white women at airports, because of all those 80 year old white women who have done all those bad things.  I bet between all the CDs/TSs and old ladies we got us a gen-u-ine crime wave sweeping through America.  I for one am tired of the CD militias, the TS para-military outfits, and old lady biker gangs.  Thank god that our president could stop that threat to our security.

The real solution is so easy.  Everybody, stop flying.  For one week.  All that stuff will go away.