In the System

It's ironic I have spent my entire life fighting the system (or believing 'it/they' had their collective heads up their arse's.) Now though I am doing my happy dance (look out) waiting for the system to work in my favor.

Yesterday, the giant bureaucracy known as the US government, did a fairly decent job and sent me my new Social Security card. As I see it, the card is the last of my gender marker major changes followed by a myriad of small ones. In fact, some I haven't even thought of yet.

Out of the way is my Ohio Identification/drivers license, Veterans Administration gender and name change, my legal name change in the courts and now Social Security Card. Plus, the one I always forget is the most important, my therapist's approval to do all of this. I'm very fortunate in that she is a free service given to me for my service to our country (Army) and she is qualified to do it. She has made her business to understand not just mine in the LGBTQ community, but others.

What angers me is some think my so called "condition" is not as important as others in the LGBTQ family. Of course it's no secret many think we shouldn't need the "screening" anyhow. It's expensive and repetitive. I agree.

Looking ahead, I have to keep pulling out the eraser to my old self and file name/gender paper work to important places like my bank, insurance and even the dog's vet.

It's quite the process, and as we have discussed here, where you are makes a huge difference. Even the order you decide to do it. I went for the legal name change first but that was me and the VA process was extremely important and one you probably won't have to go through unless of course you are a transgender veteran.

It only took me over 60 years to figure out the system didn't have to be that bad. Then again, there were all those bosses I had...