From Justine Valinotti: the life of a transwoman.
I began this blog on 7 July 2008 to recount some of my thoughts, feelings and actions, as well as medical events, of the year leading up to my GRS/SRS.
On 7 July 2009, Dr. Marci Bowers very successfully performed my surgery.
In the early days of my recovery, I decided to continue this blog to describe what I experience and learn as I begin to live as a "new woman."
Most of what you read in Transwoman Times will be written by me. If I haven't written it, it will have come from a song, poem, or any other piece of writing ranging from a classic novel to a tabloid article. These references will be duly acknowledged: I might borrow, but I don't steal (or beg).
Although I started Transwoman Times for selfish reasons (i.e., I enjoy writing and I want an outlet for my feelings and a record of my experience.) , I hope you find this interesting, inspirational or of some other value. Maybe it will apall or simply bore you. In any case, please keep on reading and pass this along to friends, co-workers, in-laws and whomever else you want to read this. And, if you want to link this to your website, please feel free to do so, and just let me know. (Hey, I might be interested in your website!)
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3 comments:
Here I am just being nosey, but were you able to change your ID? Life in Canada is just different and I hadn't ever considered that someone post surgery wouldn't be able to change ID. That just seems ... wrong.
Hi Erin, I didn't have any trouble changing my IDs. Shortly after I changed my name, I was able to get a new non-driver's ID for New York State. (It looks like a driver's license and serves as a legal ID.) After that, I was able to get a Social Security card (which doesn't have a gender ID) and passport with my new name. Letters from my doctor and therapist were enough to secure those IDs.
After my surgery, my letter from my surgeon enabled me to get a new passport with my gender idenity and to change the gender on my Social Security records. It also allowed me to acquire a new birth certificate with my new name and gender identity.
I don't know how things work in Canada, but New York City and State make it comparatively easy to get the ID you need. I was born in Georgia, but I had no problem in getting the birth certificate once I had the letter from Dr. Marci Bowers. And, just before I left Trinidad, Colorado (where I had my surgery), one of Dr. Bowers' assistants brought me to the local Social Security office, where I was able to change the gender on my records within four minutes. (I timed it.)
Perhaps I was fortunate. On the whole, however, the process of changing my IDs was fairly smooth.
I believe it is fairly easy to change your ID up here, but I haven't ever asked about it. Every once in a while I run into a small note hidden in someone's health records to ask or not ask about pregnancy (I'm an x-ray tech) but by and large, transgender people just come through my department with the M or F on their health card matching how they are presenting themselves. Post op, even the note is removed.
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