Gender Marker Change Letter

[NancyDrew1930]

So I just took a pretty big legal step today.  I requested from the clinic I'm with for my transition, a Gender Marker Letter to get things changed from male to female.  Unfortunately, it might take a little time to get to me, even though both the clinic and I are in Ontario, due to the Canada Post strike that starts tomorrow (the clinic also asks for a week for the head doctor to write-up the letter), so the clinic isn't sure how they will get letter mail sent out. 

One piece that I'm planning on leaving for next year is my passport, since it expires in 2026, so I'll be filing for a new one anyway next year.  However, having this letter will be a start, even if there are delays because of the mail.

[Maid Marion]

That is good news about requesting the letter.

There are alternate delivery services like FedEx and UPS but they are more expensive.

When I rolled over my retirement account from one company to another I could have used a 2 day delivery service instead of USPS for another $30.

[NancyDrew1930]

That is good news about requesting the letter.

There are alternate delivery services like FedEx and UPS but they are more expensive.

When I rolled over my retirement account from one company to another I could have used a 2 day delivery service instead of USPS for another $30.

In Canada, Canada Post is the only business authorized under the law to handle first class (letter mail) mail.  And it costs like $1.50 for a stamp in your standard #10 envelope.  So other couriers can not handle first class mail because of legal issues.

[NancyDrew1930]

Well I got some good news for now anyway with my letter.  The union for the Canada Post Workers, instead of going on a full walk-out, have gone on a "work to rule" campaign by having their workers still work, but refuse overtime.  So, hopefully, when the doctor sends out the letter, the union won't go into full work stoppage.   

[NancyDrew1930]

So I just got the letter in the mail today!  So I can start changing my identification!

[Lori Dee]

So I just got the letter in the mail today!  So I can start changing my identification!

Woohoo! That is awesome!

[NancyDrew1930]

So I just got my driver's license and my Ontario Health Card changed from M to F today!!!!  (Well, the Ontario health card doesn't have the sex designation on the card, but I got it changed in Ontario's computer system so if I go to the hospital or that, I'll pop up as female on their systems and paperwork---I guess I might get a call from Ontario's Breast Screening Program since I think that automatically books an appointment for you once you reach 40, I'm not too sure.)  Funny thing was that getting my health card changed was easy, getting my driver's license changed proved to be somewhat of a hassle, even though they were using the exact same documentation as I used for my health card.  The problem came from their end, because the Ontario website lists what can used for documentation for changing the sex marker on your license is either a birth certificate or (if you were born outside of Ontario or can not get an updated birth certificate) a letter from both you and a doctor declaring that you are whatever sex you identify as.  It turns out that while the website had been update June 30, 2023, the office I went to, the internal paperwork/guidelines from the higher leves only talked about the birth certificate method.  So the agent was trying to figure out what to follow.  And I can't blame them when the government hasn't managed to get their internal stuff to match with their external website stuff!

Otherwise I am now legally and medically female.

[KathyLauren]

Congratulations, Nancy!  It is so nice to be "official", isn't it?

If Ontario's health records work anything like Nova Scotia's, in addition to noting that you are female, there will probably also be a note that you are transgender.  For medical purposes, that is important information for them to have. 

They don't always look at that note, however.  When I went for my first mammogram, the technician was asking some questions for their records.  One of the questions was, "Do you still have your uterus?"  I replied that I had never had one of those.    She started to note my response on her form, then did a priceless double-take.  "Huh??"  I enjoyed the reaction for a second, then explained.

Speaking of mammograms, the standard for trans women is that you should start getting mammograms if you are in the normal age range and you have been on HRT for five years.  So, depending on when you started HRT, you might not get booked for one right away.

[NancyDrew1930]

Congratulations, Nancy!  It is so nice to be "official", isn't it?

If Ontario's health records work anything like Nova Scotia's, in addition to noting that you are female, there will probably also be a note that you are transgender.  For medical purposes, that is important information for them to have. 

They don't always look at that note, however.  When I went for my first mammogram, the technician was asking some questions for their records.  One of the questions was, "Do you still have your uterus?"  I replied that I had never had one of those.    She started to note my response on her form, then did a priceless double-take.  "Huh??"  I enjoyed the reaction for a second, then explained.

Speaking of mammograms, the standard for trans women is that you should start getting mammograms if you are in the normal age range and you have been on HRT for five years.  So, depending on when you started HRT, you might not get booked for one right away.

Hi Kathy,
I don't know if they put transgender on my records, or just female since the agent just told me that they had to change my sex in their records (in Ontario, we have a provincial agency that is similar to Service Canada where all the provincial services are done whether that's registering a vehicle or getting a driver's license or health cards, so they are not dedicated medical people).  She didn't mention if there was any mention added about me being transgender. 

But I do know that my health records do reflect that I am female since I had to contact the clinic I deal with for my HRT to give them the change in my health card number and request a new bloodwork form for the bloodwork that I have to get done for September (because of my prolactin levels they just want to see if my Cyproterone being lowered has drop my levels), and besides my new number, the old form still had Male checked off, but the new one they sent me this afternoon has Female checked off.  So when I get my bloodwork done, it shouldn't come back with a note saying that for a male my testosterone had to be triple checked while my estrogen is too high!

As for mammograms, I saw that in the last few years Ontario lowered their age range from 50 to 40 and I'm just over 40 and have been on hormones for over 3 years.

[Dances With Trees]

Congratulations, NancyDrew! Technicalities aside, this feels like a WOOO--HOOO! moment to me.