I have effected my name change everywhere--except for my birth certificate, because I want to get advice on that before proceeding.

I had the misfortune to be born in Ohio. Curses. Does anyone know the procedure?

I discovered that a transsexual gentleman named Michael Kantaras got a court to order the gender changed on his Ohio birth certificate! How did he pull that off? I want that too!

Ohio will change your name on the birth certificate, but not the gender marker.

I was born there also.

Write your congressperson, that is the best I can suggest.

Sarah L.

This is from Dr. Becky's website.

Ohio

Ohio will NOT change sex on the birth certificate. There was some question whether Ohio will even change the name, but latest information tells me that name change can be done through the Division of Vital Records with a court order. This, however, does not amend the original birth certificate. An "abstract copy" will be created with a court order, and if you request by name this "abstract copy" you will receive an attached statement with your new name.

You may, however, be able to have the sex designation on your Ohio driver's license changed by showing a letter from your SRS surgeon. It depends on whether you catch the clerk at the DMV on a good day...

Beverly

I don't live in Ohio any more.

I saw the note on Dr. Becky's site--I looked at the Ohio Division of Vital Records web site-- http://www.odh.ohio.gov/vitalstatistics/legalinfo/leglname.aspx -- it said to send a certified copy of the court order. I'm sending it along with a letter requesting a name and gender change. I've already prepared myself a form letter template for that in Word because I've been sending out so many name/gender change requests.

They won't change the birth certificate itself, but the change goes into a "computerized abstract," whatever that means, as an attachment to the original, which is then supposed to be a valid legal change of name.

What the hell is wrong with Ohio anyway? How is this discrimination ever going to be overturned?

Posted on: October 20, 2007, 08:34:52 AM

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Quote from: Sarah Louise on October 19, 2007, 09:54:08 AMI was born there also.

And how did you handle this, Sarah?

QuoteWrite your congressperson, that is the best I can suggest.

What would a congressperson do? You mean the one where I live now--or the congresswoman of where I used to live in Ohio, the district where my parents live? (Stephanie Tubbs-Jones) Anyway, that's federal and this concerns a state law. Could you explain some more how that would work?

I looked up the Ohio Birth Certificate Project and signed up for their Yahoo group. They were supposed to be working through the courts to overturn this discrimination. Unfortunately there hasn't been any news in months. Recently the only mail to the Yahoo group has been spam--this suggests that the moderator of the group has stopped paying attention. I wrote to the founder of the project but received no reply. I can't tell if the project has been abandoned. I wish there were even a glimmer of hope on the horizon. I fear when the Read ID Act goes into effect, we Ohio natives will really be screwed as to our ID.

Hypatia,

When you petitioned the court for your name change did you also ask that you be allowed to use the gender marker "F" on your *driver's license?*  I did and the court granted both of my petitions.

When I went to DMV they had no choice but to follow the court order.

In Pennsylvania they allowed the name change but would not allow a gender change without a letter from the surgeon who made it happen.

I hope that this helps a bit.

Good luck!

Wing Walker

Quote from: Hypatia on October 21, 2007, 10:41:51 AM
What the hell is wrong with Ohio anyway? How is this discrimination ever going to be overturned

There is a county in Ohio where if you get a marriage license, you have to swear an oath that you were never the opposite gender.

Quote from: Wing Walker on October 26, 2007, 01:22:38 AM
Hypatia,

When you petitioned the court for your name change did you also ask that you be allowed to use the gender marker "F" on your *driver's license?*  I did and the court granted both of my petitions.

What you did was very cool.

I didn't know about the possibility when I made my petition. But I found another way to go about it in Virginia--they recently adopted new rules that make it a bit easier on us: If you're pre-op but surgery-tracked, give them a letter from your doctor. I had a letter from my doctor at the Whitman-Walker Clinic to get a female passport, and when I went for my new driver's license I handed the DMV a copy. They faxed it to the state Medical Review Board or something in the state capital Richmond. The medical review board then has to get a form filled out by my doctor--they obtained his contact information from the letter I submitted--and when he complies with that, they will send me authorization to get the F on my DL. Thereupon I will have a grace period of 18 months in which to accomplish the surgery. I have a nice new DL with my new name and, amazingly, a pretty good picture. All I need is that one silly little letter of the alphabet to perfect it at long last.

Quote from: Wing Walker on October 26, 2007, 01:22:38 AM
Hypatia,

When you petitioned the court for your name change did you also ask that you be allowed to use the gender marker "F" on your *driver's license?*  I did and the court granted both of my petitions.
When I went to DMV they had no choice but to follow the court order.
Wing Walker

Wow!  I've never heard of that being done.  Great idea.

Kristi