Name change..... Something unexpected happened.

[acidonangles]

So my parents did the normal paper work for a name change and was told we would get a court date to see if our request was accepted or not. But instead we got a paper saying we have to have a GAL, or a guardian ad litem. Which is total garbage. We now have to pay $300+ for one. To be honest the only thing we could think would trigger a GAL would be the reason for the name change which we put as "female to male transgender name change" GALs are only appointed during divorce, abuse, and other similar things. We have looked it to and came to the conclusion someone down the line was/is discriminating against trans* people. I'm 16 by the way. Its hurdle after hurdle. I was told by the endo that I was gonna go to that I could start T to only be sneered at and told I couldn't start T because I was to young even though he bloody knew I was 16. Its garbage. It all is.

This was more of a rant then anything but leave a comment if this happened to you or something similar. As always have a great day.

Mod edit: no swearing thanks

[Ms Grace]

Yep, it's a hassle. The hurdles exist because cis gender society by and large make the rules and they're still trying to figure out how to deal with the whole trans concept. At least they're only hurdles though, go back thirty years and they would have mostly been brick walls. Hopefully in the not too distant future they will be gone altogether.

[XKimX]

Good rant.  Unfortunately, at 16 you are not legally capable of making your own decisions on legal and medical matters.  If your parents or a guardian ask and do the paperwork, the results might well be different.  It is not prejudice against trans, it is protecting minors -- even if you do not want that protection.

You could become legally emancipated (declared an adult before 18), but if so, you could not put any of your medical expenses on your parents' insurance.

[acidonangles]

My parents are the ones who filed the paperwork and signed off on everything. Both of them did which is what I find most annoying. I just hope that the GAL assigned to us isn't transphopic or anything of the sort.

[Valwen]

Sadly there are still far too many people in positions of power who consider trans people less than human, who when they find out they are allowing there child to express there true gender they assume the adults are abuseing the child or forcing it on the child which is likely what is happening here. Some small minded person saw that his parents where changing his name and they decided the parents must be unfit to have children for forcing such a situation on a child. Stupid stupid people.

Sadly the best advice I could give is too late, Dont mention gender transision at all on the name change form. Put down something like "Common usage" or "its what everyone calls me". In general mentioning your gender transision in any situation where it is not truly needed is likely to just open you up to the power of ignorant awful people who need to leave other people to live there lives rather than decide whats best for everyone.

Serena

[acidonangles]

Sadly the best advice I could give is too late, Dont mention gender transision at all on the name change form.

Well, we now know not to. If they don't allow it you can appeal to have them look it over and you can get diffrent people to look at the case.