Ohio Inches Forward

 FINALLY the court case designed to allow transgender Ohioans (like me) to change the gender on their birth certificates has been approved in court. This is from "Equality Ohio"

"Until today, Ohio was one of only two states that had a blanket ban against transgender people changing the gender listed on their birth certificate. Today, a Federal District Court struck down that policy—transgender Ohioans will now be able to correct the gender marker on their birth certificate!

Accurate identity documents, including birth certificates, are crucial for trans people to fully participate in society. The 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey found that almost one-third of trans people who showed an identity document with a name or gender marker that conflicted with their perceived gender were harassed, denied benefits or services, discriminated against, or assaulted.

This is wonderful news for trans people who were born in Ohio and, until today, have not had the ability to update the gender marker on their birth certificate—even if all of their other documents were updated. 

The next step is for the Ohio Department of Health to update its procedures for correcting birth certificate gender markers. We’ll be in touch as soon as we have more news about this! In the meantime, please contact the Equality Ohio Legal Clinic through our virtual legal intake if you have other legal needs."

Of course Ohio does have sixty days to appeal this case but is not expected to do so.

Personally I am excited by the fact, I am one of those transgender persons who has gone as far as I could changing my legal gender markers. Even though I have never been asked to produce my birth certificate to establish my gender, it would be nice to have. 

Supposedly, it will take at least sixty days for the Department of Health to catch up to this much needed change. 

Now, if Ohio can pass the anti LGBT discrimination bill currently in the legislature, we may be able to move into the 2020's as a better place to live for transgender people. 

Ohio Takes Another Baby Step Forward

Finally, Ohio has taken another step to join the rest of the country and allow genders on birth certificates to be changed. By the way, I live in Ohio and my birth certificate is my only remaining form of identification which doesn't state I am female.

Here is the story from the "Associated Press":

 "Four transgender people challenging an Ohio rule preventing people from changing the gender listings on their birth certificates have won their day in court.

U.S. District Court Judge Michael Watson denied the state’s request that the lawsuit filed by the ACLU, Lambda Legal and the ACLU of Ohio be dismissed.

The lawsuit contends the birth certificate rule imposed by the state Department of Health and the Office of Vital Statistics is unconstitutional."

Ohio and Tennessee are the two remaining states not allowing any sort of birth certificate changes.

However to my knowledge many different versions of these changes exist.  For example, I don't know that when and if Ohio's changes take place, will a person have to go through genital realignment surgery to  be able to change their birth certificate or offer proof they are living as their chosen gender.   

That point is of importance to me because I have not had, nor do I plan on having any surgery. 

A federal lawsuit challenging Tennessee’s rule was filed in April. Kansas ended a federal lawsuit there in June, when Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly struck a deal by agreeing to allow gender identity changes on Kansas birth certificates.

Nothing is Ever Easy

Out of the clear blue sky this morning on one of my ancient e-mail accounts, I received a message from an old acquaintance (2011) asking how I was doing. By the way, 2011 was the year I decided to follow my instincts and come out as transgender.

Without hesitation, I told her the reason she could not find me on any social media as a guy anymore was because I wasn't one anymore.

We shall see if I get a return comment.

Changing topics now, I am going back to yesterday's post concerning Kansas's new birth certificate ruling which allows transgender residents to change their birth certificates to reflect their true gender.

According to Connie, there is much more to it:

 " I believe that half of the states that do allow gender changes on birth certificates do so only after GRS; not like Kansas just did, requiring just a sworn statement. If you're lobbying the state of Ohio to allow the change, make sure that they follow Kansas' example. I was born in Arizona, which is one of the states requiring GRS, so I'm out of luck. 

Another thing that is not so great, even though a state may allow the gender change, is that the new certificate may be stamped "altered" or "modified." Anything short of a gemder-changed birth certificate being just like any other issued is just a certificate of proof so that one can out themselves officially. "

To my knowledge, Ohio's changes would be the same as Kansas, but we will have to see what happens. Ohio allows the "modified" certificate now, so we are hoping to move past all of that.

Now There are Only Two

Kansas has become the 48th state in America to allow transgender people to change the gender designations on their birth certificates.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has entered a consent judgment in a federal lawsuit to allow people to legally change the gender in their birth records by submitting a personal sworn statement of gender identity.

In addition, they would have to provide a drivers license or passport with their new identity, or an affidavit from a physician or mental health professional attesting to the person’s gender identity.

Now, the only two states left not allowing birth certificate changes are Tennessee and Ohio. I am sure some of you discerning Cyrsti's Condo's readers are aware I am from Ohio. 

Our birth certificate case is in the courts now and hopefully we will climb out of the middle ages in this area also.

I have changed all my other gender markers and am waiting to do my birth certificate too!