Is it missing anything and or have anything in it that it shouldn't?
It's a white piece of paper. (Not even laminated), at the top it lists thera's name, address where she works & does the sessions, her phone number & email address, then it has a line to separate the following
Date
To Whom It May Concern:
Re: Insert my real legal name here (Aka Shana-chan)
This is a "Carry Letter" prepared for the above referenced individual for her to use in traveling and other situations. It is a standard document. Shana-chan is a transgendered biological male who is in the process of transitioning from male to female (MtF). I am her therapist who is assisting in this process. Shana-chan is following all necessary steps socially, occupationally, educationally and medically, to achieve full transition to female status, according to official standards of care provided by the world professional association for transgender health (WPATH), of which I am a member. It is universal protocol and socially appropriate for her to use women's public restrooms when in female presentation, and to be referred to using female pronouns "she" and her".
Your cooperation, assistance and consideration in this process is much appreciated.
Respectfully,
Thera's signature
Thera's name (Printed)
Licensed Professional Counselor
Nationally Certified Counselor
And that's it, that's the entire carry letter. So, is this legit? Is it missing anything or have something it shouldn't? Is there anything that should be added to it? I feel as though there needs to be something added to it where it says to call me Shana-chan and not my legal birth name as, someone who I showed this letter to recently did just that, called me by my legal birth name and I so did NOT appreciate it one bit. Also, besides the bathroom and to prove we say who we are to people like the police, government, doctors and such, what else can this carry letter be used for? Perhaps getting that blasted male status on my ID off saying my sex is male when it is not?
Looks like everything covered.
Some have i seen also added:DSM to the letters.
Gender identity disorder is classified as a medical disorder by the ICD-10 CM[7] and DSM-5 (called gender dysphoria).
Quote from: Shana-chan on November 30, 2014, 11:58:33 PM
So, is this legit? Is it missing anything or have something it shouldn't? Is there anything that should be added to it? I feel as though there needs to be something added to it where it says to call me Shana-chan and not my legal birth name as, someone who I showed this letter to recently did just that, called me by my legal birth name and I so did NOT appreciate it one bit. Also, besides the bathroom and to prove we say who we are to people like the police, government, doctors and such, what else can this carry letter be used for? Perhaps getting that blasted male status on my ID off saying my sex is male when it is not?
From what I understand, carry letters bring no legal weight. There is really no such thing as a "legit" carry letter. It's merely information for whomever might ask for it. Police and government are free to disregard it.
I keep a carry letter not for legal purposes, but just for something to do if I ever get confronted by someone official. I hold no illusions that it will prevent harassment or legal consequences, but if someone confronts me, instead of standing there like a deer in headlights, at least I'll have something to do.
Mine was very similar to that letter, except it said Ms. <last name> when it referred to me instead of my new girl name. Perhaps your therapist can make you a new letter doing the same?
Like Suzi said - it provides no legal protection whatsoever, but it may help get you out of a scrape. I made sure to stay out of scrapes :)
I don't carry mine anymore now that I have done the legal name and gender change and I have my new name and an "F" on my drivers license. The only way anyone can tell for sure that I am MAAB is a genital check and that ain't happening.
Thank you all!
Quote from: Eva Marie on December 01, 2014, 08:45:09 AM
Mine was very similar to that letter, except it said Ms. <last name> when it referred to me instead of my new girl name. Perhaps your therapist can make you a new letter doing the same?
Can you explain what you mean please? I'm kind of confused by what you mean? If you're referring to it listing my real legal name then, wouldn't it be better to have it list it for people such as the police, government, doctors etc. to further prove who you are? I do get for the none authority people it'd be best to have Ms. and last name at the end but, I don't know. Can you give me your take on it please?
Quote from: mrs izzy on December 01, 2014, 12:14:54 AM
Looks like everything covered.
Some have i seen also added:DSM to the letters.
Gender identity disorder is classified as a medical disorder by the ICD-10 CM[7] and DSM-5 (called gender dysphoria).
What's the DSM? What good does it do to have it added to the letter?
Shana-Chan, don't overthink the carry letter. As others have mentioned (and as I can also confirm), it carries no legal weight whatsoever. Or any weight at all in any situation, to be honest. It could be written in crayon by your mom and still be as (in)effective as a $250 beautifully-prepared and legal-sounding carry letter from your therapist that quotes all manner of BS like claiming to be "a standard document" etc. It proves nothing to anybody, and it serves only to delay your safe departure from the scene.
Avoid any situation where you might feel tempted to pull out a carry letter. If you need it, it means you've already gotten yourself into a very sticky situation, and it generally means you're about to screw things up even more by arguing with an angry person or a cop instead of walking away. Say sorry, suck it up, and stay out of jail or hospital; waving around a carry letter is never a good option unless a reluctant apology and retreat isn't viable. In terms of protection against things going wrong, a carry letter is just about the most useless thing you could hope for.
My carry letter referred to me as Ms. Smith instead of John Smith. It was a way to incorporate my real name in the letter while also respecting pronouns. Whether to use that naming convention or not is up to you. Since the letter carries no legal weight I don't think it matters for law enforcement. My therapist also put her phone number on the letter with a note to call her in case of trouble so if anyone would have doubted my name they could have called my therapist and confirmed the info in the letter.
The DSM is the diagnostic and statistics manual - it it used by mental health professionals as a guideline for diagnosing and treating mental conditions.
Quote from: Shana-chan on December 02, 2014, 05:01:18 PM
Thank you all!
Can you explain what you mean please? I'm kind of confused by what you mean? If you're referring to it listing my real legal name then, wouldn't it be better to have it list it for people such as the police, government, doctors etc. to further prove who you are? I do get for the none authority people it'd be best to have Ms. and last name at the end but, I don't know. Can you give me your take on it please?
What's the DSM? What good does it do to have it added to the letter?
Here you go:
https://www.susans.org/wiki/DSM