Media Room

Trans Issues: Birth Certificate Rant

The other day I was filing to get a new birth certificate with my chosen legal name and affirmed gender because I wanted to get a passport. I had an idea of what I needed until I looked on the state website. So I ran into something that I like to call a “trans issue”. If you are trans and are looking to update your birth certificate in CT, click here.

What are Trans Issues?

Trans issues are struggles only transgender people face. Meaning, an issue cisgender people don’t have to EVER go through.

Trans Issue in Context

In the case of trying to get a new birth certificate, cisgender people only need to fill out a 1 page form to send to the state, town, or fed with a copy of their legal ID. For transgender people, we have to:

• Fill out the form cisgender people fill out
• Attach a copy of our ID or driver’s license (like cisgender people)
• Have a doctor or psychiatrist fill out a form that they have to get notarized (to prove gender identity)
• Fill out the form to get notarized (to also prove gender identity)
• Provide COURT documents
• And if you’re adopted (which I am), you must also provide adoption proof

If you are trans and are looking to update your birth certificate in CT, click here.

Why Trans Issues?

I find it weird that we (the trans community) have to go through these hurdles. We shouldn’t have to provide that much proof of our identity to anyone. To mention, it took me about 3 years to finally update everything to reflect my gender identity and legal name.

Although I updated things right away, the state didn’t update my name as it was updated federally, on my voter ID, state government issued ID, on the Selective Service System (war draft), and far more.

Being for real, what was the reason for going through all of this if I couldn’t get my birth certificate updated like any other person?

WE NEED POLICY CHANGE!

Regardless of someone’s gender identity circumstances, there should be some form of equity to lower the amount of struggle trans people face.

I think an updated government issued ID should be enough proof of our gender identity and name update. We should be able to provide the same number of documents cisgender people provide for everything. Especially because a lot of us went through well over enough hurdles.

– Dez