Susan's Place Transgender Resources

I have all the necessary documentation to change the gender marker on my passport to M but I don't know what to expect. I was told that I could do this at the post offices that deal with passport but should I still call and ask them mentioning the gender aspect of things?  Or should I just go ahead and do it?  I don't know how this works because there is a letter written by my doctor and it feels strange to give that to anyone who works there.. When changing my ID there was no letter necessary but just one simple form so it wasn't mentioning anything in a detailed manner.
Anyone  who changed their passport did it at the post office? 

I am pre-op mtf and have not changed my gender on my birth certificate, yet.  I just went thru this when I applied for my passport.  I had the letter from my dr saying I had completed transition so I could get the 10 year passport.  I told the woman at the counter that my birth certificate had my previous name and gender of male and that I had the letter from my Dr. and the court order changing my name and gender.  My Drivers licence had my gender of female and she was very pleasant, and gendered me appropriately throughout.  All they do is verify that the app is filled out correctly, verify you have the appropriate documents, and then package them and send them in to the State Department.  They play a middle man role for it all.  Nothing more. :)  It was 2ez.

Thank you for your reply,its  very helpful.  By the way, did they actually ask for your birth certificate or you just mentioned it?  Mine is actually foreign since I wasnt born in the U.S. 

Also, may I ask how much it cost?  When I called they asked me if it was expired and I said no, it's just for changing the gender marker but they said they weren't sure and told me to go to the office and ask them..The thing is I don't want to say anything more than I don't have to so I don't want to embarrass myself even more.

I had to surrender mine to be sent in with the information to the State Dept because the only other form of citizenship proof they will accept is a passport, which I do not have yet.  I was nervous about giving up my original to the government, but that is the rules, apparently.  So, right now, as I wait for my passport, I have not birth certificate in my possession.  A bit disconcerting. :)

I am not what you have to submit, though, to amend your gender if you already have a passport.

http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/passports/information/gender.html

I would bring along a copy of the policy. Some offices have never had to do one and give you  the "you can not unless you has GCS."

You need to prove the availability to do as required in there rules.

So that's my suggestion.

Quote from: mrs izzy on April 02, 2015, 10:51:39 AM
http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/passports/information/gender.html

I would bring along a copy of the policy. Some offices have never had to do one and give you  the "you can not unless you has GCS."

You need to prove the availability to do as required in there rules.

So that's my suggestion.

Good point!  I did that, too, when I applied.

One thing to be aware of, is do not let the post office rep tell you to submit a DS-82 application, as the dept of state requires form DS-11, because you are applying for a passport as a "new person". I went through the whole rigmarole last year, and it was extremely frustrating. 

Quote from: makipu on April 02, 2015, 10:19:40 AMdid they actually ask for your birth certificate or you just mentioned it?  Mine is actually foreign since I wasnt born in the U.S. 

Yes, they want the actual certified birth certificate.

You need to prove you are a US citizen.
Were you naturalized or were you born to US parents outside of the US?
You should have either a naturalization certificate or a consular certificate.

I was naturalized but my naturalization certificate's gender marker isn't changed to M yet. (It was even more of a complicated process as I still don't know all the things I need to get that changed) Does that matter?  My state ID is the only official document that says M. 

As long as you have a letter from your doctor to support the passport update, it shouldn't be an issue.

I think price depends on when it was issued or last renewed. Mine was done within the last year, and I have been told that it is free to update. I'll confirm next week.

Quote from: ftmax on April 02, 2015, 04:13:49 PM
As long as you have a letter from your doctor to support the passport update, it shouldn't be an issue.

I think price depends on when it was issued or last renewed. Mine was done within the last year, and I have been told that it is free to update. I'll confirm next week.

I think it is important to mention, that the Dept of State has specific guidelines that your Dr. must follow when he or she writes the letter, and if any information is left out, your passport will be delayed until they receive a new letter. 

Quote from: kittenpower on April 02, 2015, 04:20:31 PM
I think it is important to mention, that the Dept of State has specific guidelines that your Dr. must follow when he or she writes the letter, and if any information is left out, your passport will be delayed until they receive a new letter.

The clinic I go to for HRT actually gave me a guide to changing my name and gender on all of my documents. It has templates for these letters in it - if anybody needs them to take to their doctor to sign off on, let me know. I'd be happy to send it around.

The link Ainsley provided has those templates.

Quote from: ainsley on April 02, 2015, 10:32:38 AM
I had to surrender mine to be sent in with the information to the State Dept because the only other form of citizenship proof they will accept is a passport, which I do not have yet.  I was nervous about giving up my original to the government, but that is the rules, apparently.  So, right now, as I wait for my passport, I have not birth certificate in my possession.  A bit disconcerting. :)

I am not what you have to submit, though, to amend your gender if you already have a passport.

Just a letter from your doctor. On US State Dept site, there is a page with a list of what they need to know. It specifies that SRS is not required for gender marker change.

fyi, I sent in my birth cert with all the paperwork, and got it back about a week before the passport.

Quote from: mrs izzy on April 02, 2015, 10:51:39 AM
http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/passports/information/gender.html

I would bring along a copy of the policy. Some offices have never had to do one and give you  the "you can not unless you has GCS."

You need to prove the availability to do as required in there rules.

So that's my suggestion.

I second bringing a copy of this. When I went to the post office passport office they tried to tell me I was using the wrong forum (you use a DS-11 form wether you are applying for a new one or renewing/changing your old passport like I was.) The women was very nice about it and asked to keep the copy for their office because they had been telling people wrong. 4 1/2 weeks later my new passport came in with correct name and gender :)

By the way, what is the document that the employers want to check/verify when you first apply for (any) job? Is it the passport or naturalization certificate (if not born in the U.S.)?

Quote from: makipu on April 09, 2015, 02:01:32 PM
By the way, what is the document that the employers want to check/verify when you first apply for (any) job? Is it the passport or naturalization certificate (if not born in the U.S.)?

To prove your eligibility to work? I believe either of those or a green card are allowed but usually the HR department of the company you're applying to can tell you what they need.

Anyone know how long the process takes if you're just amending the gender and putting a new picture on the passport? I'm taking a cruise in October and I suspect it will be hard to hide my boobs by then, plus it's been years and the picture isn't such a good match anymore.

Quote from: makipu on April 09, 2015, 02:01:32 PM
By the way, what is the document that the employers want to check/verify when you first apply for (any) job? Is it the passport or naturalization certificate (if not born in the U.S.)?

I have always either used a passport by itself OR a combination of driver's license and social security card. They should be able to get the information they need from those if they're doing any kind of background check or eVerify.

Quote from: makipu on April 09, 2015, 02:01:32 PM
By the way, what is the document that the employers want to check/verify when you first apply for (any) job? Is it the passport or naturalization certificate (if not born in the U.S.)?

Legally to satisfy the I-9 form all they need is a driver license and social security card that does not have any restriction (eg not valid for work without DHS authorization). If your SS card has restriction you may need to supply proof of eligibility to work. However if you had a card with a restriction that no longer applies you should have gone to the social security office to get it updated to a regular one. Usually only EAD (work permit) and temp workers on restricted visas like H1B have it.

Proof of citizenship is not required.

However you can present your passport by itself.

See page 9:

http://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/files/form/i-9.pdf

Thank you both. I didn't let the SSA know about my gender change on ID. Do I have to do this?

Quote from: makipu on April 13, 2015, 09:44:58 PM
Thank you both. I didn't let the SSA know about my gender change on ID. Do I have to do this?

You should for several reasons. Some states verify information with Social Security for Driver's License Information. Also so that information matches up with medical and tax information that will be important later in life and don't forget background checks.

It can "ping" on other things. If you're ever in a hiring process with an employer for example, and they run a background check on you. It'll come back as something that was off about the background check.

In my state I was required to update with SSA prior to being allowed to update my driver's license to male, and I had to have a print out from SSA/my new SS card to show that the change had been made prior to them moving forward on my driver's license.

It was super easy to do, and the wait at my local SSA office was much shorter than expected. They were very pleasant and easy to work with.

Before I changed my gender marker I specifically asked if it would cause problems to other things and then told me that it shouldn't because they're separate.  Ftmax, where can I find out about the requirements for this? Since they didn't tell me anything specific at the driver's license center when getting it changed (other than the fact that I waited standing for half an hour after I gave them the filled application)

The thing with me is, I can't have my gender marker be changed to M on my health insurance since they will not cover F related problems. I basically would like everything except health insurance to say M.

Hey Makipu,

Take a look at this link:

http://www.whitman-walker.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/VA-Name-and-Gender-Change-Guide-March-2015.pdf

I know it says Virginia, but since we're talking about SSA, it applies to every state. The info you're looking for is on page 8. If you're having trouble, I can email you copies of the stuff I used and you can edit it and take it in.

I signed up for health insurance through the marketplace after turning 26. At the point I signed up, I hadn't received any of my new documentation in the mail. So I signed up as my male name with a female gender marker. They have yet to ask for any kind of documentation about me (driver's license, passport). They have my social security number. Unless they ask, I am not planning to update them until after my future hysto.

Quote from: makipu on April 14, 2015, 03:00:59 PM

The thing with me is, I can't have my gender marker be changed to M on my health insurance since they will not cover F related problems. I basically would like everything except health insurance to say M.

This is no longer the case due to health insurance laws from Obamacare. Since 2013, it's illegal for an insurance company to deny a procedure that is typical for another gender that is on file. It falls under the clause that an insurance carrier can no longer deny a claim based on a pre-existing condition. Do note that many times an the doctor must enter an alternative code when submitting a claim. For example an trans woman with a Female gender marker may need a prostate exam (even after SRS) and the normal code may get kicked back due to the procedure not normally performed on a FAAB person. They will need to call the insurance provider and get the alternative code.

Quote from: Sydney_NYC on April 13, 2015, 10:51:53 PM
You should for several reasons. Some states verify information with Social Security for Driver's License Information. Also so that information matches up with medical and tax information that will be important later in life and don't forget background checks.

Generally though the system that employers use doesn't check gender marker anymore. This went away in 2009 or 2010 I believe. However it is still a good idea to keep it current.

Quote from: makipu on April 13, 2015, 09:44:58 PM
Thank you both. I didn't let the SSA know about my gender change on ID. Do I have to do this?

As stated you should.

It's no cost to you other than the time spent to go down to the social security office. Just do it. When it's my turn I am going to change every last little thing. Why would I want that "M" next to my name anywhere?

Quote from: Sydney_NYC on April 14, 2015, 09:49:52 PM
This is no longer the case due to health insurance laws from Obamacare. Since 2013, it's illegal for an insurance company to deny a procedure that is typical for another gender that is on file. It falls under the clause that an insurance carrier can no longer deny a claim based on a pre-existing condition.

I never heard this before. Using the word "pre-existing" makes sense. But is this the case with all insurances? I currently have Medicaid.

Quote from: makipu on April 20, 2015, 01:58:04 PM

I never heard this before. Using the word "pre-existing" makes sense. But is this the case with all insurances? I currently have Medicaid.

Yes this is with all insurance (in the US) including Medicaid.

So are you saying that there is no reason why I should have to put up with my insurance saying F?  Otherwise I would have changed it as soon as I got my ID changed. How would I know if the doctors are willing to work with alternative codes?

^^^^^

That's correct. If a doctor wants to get paid they will work with the insurance companies to get the code. It happens all the time with cis-patients. An example is a cis-male can get breast cancer. They have the same issue with the codes/ It's not that big of a deal since they have to work and sometimes fight with insurance companies on non trans related issues anyways.

I called and wanted to just check with with my doctor's office. I talked to the case manager who deals with the legal documentation changes. Unfortunately I was disappointed with what I heard.  While technically the doctors SHOULDN'T cause issues and deny previous gender specific procedures, they still do....  (at least from the other trans patients they see)  I specifically asked what if they use the alternative codes and he said it depends on the doctor and couldn't tell me more about it. 

Ftmax, thank you for that link. Especially hearing about the F. specific coverage not being guaranteed at all is making me keep the letter as well...  May I ask if you're going to have everything be removed when you have the hysto? Also, because you also have F in your insurance and M in other docs, has it not caused the slightest issue? 

By the way,  I went to the post office and the lady who worked there did give me bit of an  issue because she made me take longer (and be embarrassed about the whole needing to change gender; basically outing me)  due to her thinking of it being a "renewal" like Kittenpower said here. I even showed the paper to her but she still had to call and ask...I was highly embarrassed (as I hate having this condition) and I am never going to the post office that was closest to me because of this.