Gender Gender and name Genderand andname name changes changes need to be changesneed needto tobe be accessible. accessible. accessible. Words by Ollie Patterson (they/them)
Currently there are two significant barriers when it comes to the physical needs of trans people being met; cost and requirement of clinical treatment. Legally, updating one’s gender and name change is necessary in order to keep the government records and paperwork accurate. It is SO important for a lot of people to be able to say “This is my name according to the government. It is on my ID and all of my documents.” Everyone should be able to have their paperwork correctly up to date. Additionally, government documents uphold and use the correct name / gender, it makes it more likely that people in professional, legal, and medical environments will respect and use the real name and gender of the person. Before I changed my name and gender, I was called the wrong name on all of my ID and paperwork, which made it difficult to: - Use ID (especially after my voice broke — I had people laugh in my face) - Hand in assignments (saying they were authored by someone I was not) - Being disrespected by doctors and medical practitioners (which was the most awful experience to go through) I made the change to my name and gender marker after spending time in a hospital where my name and pronouns were not respected. I was referred to with the wrong name and as a woman by the very people who were supposed to be caring for me and my health. My life was in the hands by people who wouldn’t even call me by my own name. It was incredibly painful and made me not care if I got out of the hospital alive. There are no words for how awful it felt that I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. But I knew it was not a once off — in fact, most trans people I’ve discussed it with have had similar experiences. That is an absolute atrocity and should be an extreme embarrassment to anyone working with or in health sector. After a few months of my recovery, I finally got my name legally changed. The next time I was in hospital, they used my real name and it encouraged me to keep persisting in life.
42
