Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Morristown transgender woman says she went topless to make a statement
Posted: Nov 14, 2011 10:19 PM EST

By MONA NAIR
6 News Reporter

http://www.wate.com/story/16039917/morristown-transgendered-woman-says-she-went-topless-to-make-a-statement (http://www.wate.com/story/16039917/morristown-transgendered-woman-says-she-went-topless-to-make-a-statement)

MORRISTOWN (WATE) - A local transgender woman arrested for indecent exposure in the Morristown Driver's License Office parking lot says she took her shirt off to fight for her rights.

Andrea Jones says she is a woman, but the state won't change her sex from male to female on her driver's license.

"It's not right for the state to ask me to be both male and female. A choice needs to be made. They cannot hold me to both standards," Jones said.

Yes, that was an over the top reaction, but it is a way to get some attention on the TN gender ID legal issues. We can't even remove the birth name from our birth certificates and forget about changing the gender on them. Perhaps her lawsuit will get us some positive change.

I just wonder if she is going to get in trouble with the SSA since just an orchi isn't enough to change their gender marker either is it?  I know some have had creatively worded letters accepted, but don't the rules say full SRS for the SSA too?

                          Andrea Jones, Tennessee Transgender Woman, Goes Topless In DMV Protest

This from Huffpost Gay Voices.  Seems that a transgendered woman was refused a female designation on her drivers license due to the State Of Tennessee laws on the prerequisites to obtain one.  She has a new Social Security card stating she's female, but the state of Tennessee does not recognize that an orchie plus a doctor's letter alone does qualify.  So she protested by taking off her shirt in the parking lot of the DMV and got arrested for indecent exposure while holding her 'male' license.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/16/andrea-jones-transgender_n_1097978.html?icid=maing-grid10%7Chtmlws-main-bb%7Cdl4%7Csec1_lnk3%7C113495 (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/16/andrea-jones-transgender_n_1097978.html?icid=maing-grid10%7Chtmlws-main-bb%7Cdl4%7Csec1_lnk3%7C113495)
  Joelene

  Over the top?  I think so....(groan).  I agree that an orchie only is not enough unless someone can find a legal reason for allowing a change of your sex status.  The states are bound by the actions of it's politicians.  Federal and state laws may often clash with this.  Marijuana usage medically is legal in my state, but not on the federal level.  A dispensary and/or grower can get a legal state certificate to handle this stuff, but the Feds can bust them, which has happened. 
  I do not know the exact legal prerequisites of changing your sex for the federal level, but there may be a review from the SSA from this story alone.  The same with a story of a local marijuana grower who was bragging about his operation in an upscale neighborhood to a TV station and was busted by the Feds when the commercials for that upcoming story aired and just hours before the story actually aired.  9news had a double story that night.
  Joelene

Well I Googled it. And while I perceive the original usage in this threat to be intended as an insult or put down, I still don't get how so.

but whatever.

Whether or not it was over the top, she has a point IMO in that the cops could have charged her with disorderly conduct and undermined her ability to make the point she intended.

the didn't, and now they are trying to pressure her into conceding her point. The law won't change, of course, the TN legislature is awfully backwards to have so many LGB/T friendly folks in the state (Nashville is a pretty progressive town in that regard I'm told) but I favor her staring them down on the inconsistency of the charge with the legally recognized gender. And I think they owe her damages over the lost job and so forth but I don't know if she'll ever get a judgement.

A reminder to please stay on topic, all non relevant posts will be deleted!  :police:

Z

Quote from: Tammy Hope on November 17, 2011, 02:40:10 AMThe law won't change, of course, the TN legislature is awfully backwards to have so many LGB/T friendly folks in the state (Nashville is a pretty progressive town in that regard I'm told) but I favor her staring them down on the inconsistency of the charge with the legally recognized gender. And I think they owe her damages over the lost job and so forth but I don't know if she'll ever get a judgement.

Nashville is far enough away to be another world.   Unfortunately Morristown is between where I am and Knoxville.   Outside of a city this area is very backwards. There are places around here that I would have been unwelcome and potentially beaten EVEN when I presented as a straight white male. Some of the 'hollers' around here are very xenophobic.

by Staff Writer, PinkNews.co.uk
16 November 2011, 12:14pm

A US transgender woman who stripped to the waist in her local driving authority's car park and spent 23 days in prison has spoken about her motives, WATE reports.

Andrea Jones took her top off in the Morristown Driver's License Office in Tennessee to highlight the inconsistent way the state is treating trans people.

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2011/11/16/topless-us-trans-woman-charged-with-indecent-exposure-as-a-man/ (http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2011/11/16/topless-us-trans-woman-charged-with-indecent-exposure-as-a-man/)

Does anyone know what ultimately happened to Andrea Jones?  Was she convicted?  Acquitted? Did she sue the police?

Regarding her orchi and the SSA, if she has the right letter from her doctor, stating appropriate treatment, she can get her gender marker changed with them.