I've already asked this question a long time ago but it's stressing me out so I'll ask again.
Anyone from Quebec that already has had their name gender or gender marker changed?
If so how was it?
Sounds like tons of fun ::) Good luck with all this.
@ Jayr - As an Ontarian I'm at least happy to learn of more Canadian neighbours on here. (I don't know everyone on the site well enough, as you can tell.)
I don't understand how every person I talk to on this, tells me I need different things.
How does that make sense. Like I talked to this chick and she got it changed without her doctors note, she had her therapist write in his letter who the doctor was and all that info. So you're saying I need a letter from my endo, 2 letters from 2 therapists, and a letter from a family member?..I hate this place...
And I don't have money for a lawyer. I'm barely surviving. The only reason I might have money to change my name is from 2 old hand made ''checks'' my mom gave me for my graduation and 18th birthday.
I don't understand why Quebec is still at this damn stage. 2012 for effin sake. We should be over this crap.
*Needless to say this ->-bleeped-<- pisses me off*
And I'll make sure to do that! Keep me updated on your situation btw!!
It's nice to know someone that's in the same place as you.
I already have an appointment for a hysto.
My family doctor gave me a reference instantly.
Seeing the gyno in October. That's a plus.
Uhm, I'm in the process of getting my name changed and I've asked a ton of questions to a woman from the Directeur de l'état civil, so I think I have it right.
You don't need 3 letters. Only 2. One from your treating doctor (endo), and one from a mental health professional who's been seeing you (most probably a psychiatrist). Also, there is no such thing as a requirement for having been using the name for some time or anything. No letter from a family member either. And no lengthy explanation needed from you either. Mine is one line long and they said it was okay: "Je suis une transsexuelle homme vers femme en transition." ("I am a male to female transsexual in transition.")
As for proving, my psychiatrist's letter is really simplistic, and he says that pretty much the very same letter has always been accepted for the tens of name changes he's supported. And the lady at the Directeur de l'état civil said it was okay, and that a similar thing from my endo would be perfect. So don't sweat it.
Apart from trans specific stuff (which pretty much amounts to those two letters), you need to make publications, once per week, for two consecutive weeks, in a newspaper published in your judiciary district (they had no details for me, but apparently, if you tell them that you need an publication for a name change, they know what to do) as well as in the Gazette officielle du Québec (comes with the form).
One interesting fact, you don't -need- to fill in the preliminary thingie. When I contacted the Directeur de l'état civil with questions, the lady told me on the phone that it was clear my situation required a name change request, and sent me the forms directly. Once they get your forms with all the required papers, it takes 4 months to be treated, + a 30-day delay for anyone who might want to make observations or comments on your name change.
After that you get your certificate. Interesting fact, the delivery of that official paper changes nothing officially, except in the Directeur de l'état civil's data. So you can make the request in advance, and then, when you're ready (e.g. between two school terms), you can start presenting it to Service Québec, your bank, your employer, your school, etc. so it's applied. A bit of a worry that you have to make sure you don't forget anyone, though.
As for the gender change, yush, you do need surgery to have "primary sexual characteristics altered". That's SRS for MTFs, but I'm not sure exactly what it implies for FTMs.
If you have any questions, feel free to PM me. I should know pretty much everything there is to know about this with all the questions I asked. I also still have all the forms and the guide next to me, as well as the letter from my psychiatrist, all filled out but not sent, and validated as correct through email by the employee who's taking care of my case. I don't mind showing you any of that that you'd be curious about.
Funny fact: if you change your gender marker, there are no additional requirements or costs for changing your name to one of the opposite gender at the same time. No publications required at all, either. So we pay double or triple for the whole process. But to be honest, who can satisfy the criteria of 6-12 months of RLE for SRS with their old name? Unless it's already androgynous.
Pretty illogical, but the law is still that way, and apart from maybe Québec Solidaire, I don't think there's the slightest political will to change that. It takes effort, and people will say "we're spending for a non-essential problem instead of paying the debt" like they did when SRS became covered more easily. And probably no party right now would want to take that sort of political risk, however small, for the small part of the population that we are... So yeah. I think we have to brace ourselves and deal with it.
So, uhm, anyway. The process is a pain, but not as hard as santetranshealth.org says it is.
I found this very informative an detailed procedure on another forum:
http://dunautregenre.xooit.com/t310-Procedure-pour-changement-de-nom.htm (http://dunautregenre.xooit.com/t310-Procedure-pour-changement-de-nom.htm)
Super amazing that the person took the time to write that up :)
Id better get on it if I want it done before 2015!!
That's an interesting link. Thanks.
Though from what I know, proof of using the name is not required in our case.
Whee~
Quote from: TessaM on October 22, 2012, 01:31:26 PM
Ok great news! I just checked my mailbox and I got a package from the Directeur de letat civil. In it, they have sent me back papers (in english!) describing how to go about changing my name, all the steps to follow, etc. They have also opened up a file under my old name, so im one step closer to getting my eww boy name changed to Tessa finally! Woo hoo!
Hey, Doll
Would not be easier to go to Ontario and have them change them down there?
Peky
Really? Ontario doesn't cover SRS? That's sad.
Quote from: TessaM on October 22, 2012, 05:00:13 PM
Unless I heard incorrectly, I believe that is the case :(
SRS has been covered in Ontario since 2008. You have to go through CAMH and it requires 1 year of documented RLE. Because of waiting times it currently takes around 2 years from referral to your SRS date, assuming there are no problems. CAMH has a vile rep, but supposedly it has improved somewhat. Regardless, as a hetero femme-presenting trans girl, you'd probably not have to deal with more than some intrusive questions.
The only places that do not cover SRS at present are Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and possibly PEI (I can't find anything about PEI). And I have no idea what happens in the territories or if any trans people actually live there.
You would have to be a resident of Ontario for a full year before they would change any of your details. And they still couldn't change your birth certificate for you.
I did my name change and gender change after SRS. It was relatively easy. I did not have to publish anything in legal and local papers. The surgeon gave me all the letters I needed and the total cost was less than $200. After receiving the certificate, changing my name everywhere was a long and arduous process though, but that has nothing to do with the government.
@Tessa, you are partly right, as Sarah pointed out, the Center for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), transitioning is funded by the Ontario Government, so that is the place to go if you can't afford the process. If you don't transition there, you have to pay your way. If you are over 65 years of age Ontario Hospital Insurance Plan (OHIP) drug program does pay for hormones.
As Sarah mentioned about CAMH with a 2 year wait list, same for Sherbourne Health Center (SHC) and a place that just started in my area of Mississauga that does transitioning. I wasn't interested in going to CAMH, don't qualify for SHC as you have to live in their area prior to my community center just starting it forces you to go through your GP or find a gender friendly one. My GP doesn't know anything about LGBT so doesn't want to do hormones due to dosage uncertainty. At my age, wait times, all the spread out sessions with medical people and time before you can get started on hormones, then the slow time to when breasts start to form (probably small for me) will be to late in my life to bother now. I came close but have been perceiving this may happen and being okay with living the way I have dressing femme when I can (mostly). Transwoman in my head and not a man wearing a dress.
Jamie