The custodial door

Posted: February 27, 2018 | Author: | Filed under: coming out, Janitorial work, name change | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Here it is, finally!  Photographic proof that my name plate finally arrived the way I want it, after many delays and a mix-up.  If you want to read about the backstory, here are two past posts:

From December:  The “Mx.” got way delayed

From last January:  I came out at work, cont’d

The short version is that I asked for the Mx. a year and 3 months ago, following my legal name change.  A full year passed before anything happened, and it came through as Kameron [last name], which was not what I wanted.  So I talked to the principal again, and luckily, she was pliable.  A month ago, I saw a name plate in the admin. assistant’s trash (only because I empty her trash), that said, Ms. [last name].  Meaning, that Staples messed it up even though it got submitted the way I wanted it.  Another week passed (during which time I was wondering if I’d have to check back in with the admin. assistant or not.  Glad I just waited.) and, finally, there it was, on the custodial door.

!!!!!

Finally changing my name legally pt. 2

Posted: December 14, 2016 | Author: | Filed under: coming out | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

On Saturday, I got my signed court order in the mail, along with all my supporting documents (including an exemption to having to announce my name change in a publication) and instructions to go back to the County Clerk’s office and file again.  It only took 26 days – didn’t expect such a quick turn-around.  I got this piece of mail immediately after coming home from a birthday lunch with my spouse and parents, at which I told them about my legal name change (tough conversation to bring up, but I did it!)  Monday was my birthday, and my spouse and I went on a day trip.  I had also taken Tuesday off, which was perfect because I had plenty of time to go back downtown and keep this momentum going.

I got there at about 11am and, after filing, I purchased two certified copies of the court order for $10.  I then thought, wow, I could go down to the DMV too at this rate!  I did some stuff at home (including coming up with and practicing a new signature!!), and then I headed down there at about 3pm.  Filled out the form, wrote my new signature in a box, got my picture taken, and then was told that their system was down.  The lady re-booted the computer two times, I took another picture, wrote the signature again, and, …no go.  She gave me my number anyway, but when I finally got to go up, they just told me I needed these things scanned first, and since the computer was down, it just wasn’t going to happen.  Blah!

So, I came back the following morning (this morning).  Wrote my signature two more times, got my picture taken two more times, with technical issues in between.  It finally went through though.  And now I have a temporary license, and I’ll get my new one in two weeks!

I had always thought I was going to stick with “F,” legally.  As I went through the day yesterday though, I came back to that – it suddenly had a lot of weight attached to it.  NOW was my chance to change to “M,” if I wanted.  I would have just waited on the DMV until I’d gotten a note from my doctor, psychiatrist, or therapist.  (That’s all it takes where I live!  No proof of HRT.  No proof of surgery.  Just a letter from someone saying that you identify as you say you identify!)  Ultimately, I decided, no, I’m not changing it.  If I could change it to something else (“X,” “N,” or whatever, I’d have done that in a heartbeat.  It was a fairly easy call – I was no more attached to “F” than “M” – they equally do not define me, so as a default, I’m sticking with F.  At least for now.  I know it might be harder to change it in the future, (Trump) but, that’s a risk I’ll have to take, because now is not the time…

I actually had an idea while thinking through all this, and I wonder if others do this:  I think I will put a teeny tiny black sticker over the “F” on my new license.  It’ll just be a blank square.  And if for some reason I have to show a cop or something, I can peel it off real quick first.  But for purposes of showing bartenders, etc., hey, they don’t need to know!!!  I think it’ll feel super validating to black out “F.”

So, right now, all systems are open!  There’s nothing in my way from changing my name anywhere and everywhere.  It now is timely for me to come out at work.  I can finally have an actual name on Facebook.

Etc.  Now, where to start???

Finally changing my name legally

Posted: November 21, 2016 | Author: | Filed under: coming out, name change | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

I started going by “Kameron,” socially, in May of last year.  I had a turning-point conversation with my spouse a couple of months before that, but I wanted to let it sink in, because once, years ago, I picked out a name I thought I wanted to go by.  But then I just didn’t do anything more with it.  So I wanted to see if that was going to happen again, or if I would actually move ahead.  My spouse started calling me the name around the house, and then, a pivotal moment was trying the name out within a group of strangers that I was only seeing on a temporary basis:  Being transgender while in a partial hospitalization program.  That helped immensely; to hear the name repeatedly and see if it would sink in.  Once that felt right, I emailed a bunch of people with this new information (and with a new phone number).  That was a big move, but I haven’t regretted it.  It’s been a super easy transition – no one, surprisingly, has messed up in front of me, once.  Plus, acquaintances and friends of friends heard word from others, so I barely had to tell or remind anyone!  So cool!  (Well, ok, except for family members, which is different).

Last Monday, I finally went downtown to get the process rolling on getting it legally changed.  I think the hold-up was:  I wasn’t ready to come out at work, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to change my last name, too, while I was at it.

I’m now feeling good about coming out at work within the near future.  Also, I decided to change my first, middle, and last name.  That’s going to take some getting used to, since I haven’t changed that anywhere yet, even socially.  Guess I gotta come up with a new signature too.

The process was not too bad:  I printed some documents out from an online site, and fortunately my spouse’s dad is a notary, so we were able to go over to her parents’ house to get that all in order and signed, the day before.  I had Monday off work, and it turned out to be a gorgeous day, so I decided to bike.  (So glad I did because I ended up having to go back and forth, and to a few places.  Parking is tough downtown, and I was able to zip around and lock up at VIP spots anywhere I was going, haha – VIP spots meaning street signs and trees.)

I first went to the information desk at the County Clerks’ office.  The lady was brusque, giving me 2 other documents that had to be filled out, asking me if I had my index #, and telling me I needed 3 copies of all these papers.  Luckily, my spouse’s dad, who works downtown, had told me I could contact him if I needed anything else.  I called him, biked over the few blocks to his office – it was cool to see where he works! – and he helped me fill out the rest, plus he made copies of everything and paper-clipped everything neatly and efficiently, with clips on both the top and the sides!)  I thanked him and rode back and got in line, where I stood for probably a half hour.  When it was my turn though, I got through quickly.  I paid the $210 fee, got my index number, and got a receipt.

They told me I then had to go to the Hall of Justice, to the Judicial Clerk’s office.  This involved more bike riding, plus a walk through a metal detector and asking around in order to find the right room.  Things went smoothly there too, although I noticed that on the receipt I got from the County Clerk’s office, they spelled “Kameron,” “Kamerson.”  Aarrgh!  I asked if this was going to be a problem, and I was assured that it was fine – the judge wasn’t going to be looking at that at all.

I then biked to a coffee shop and worked on some writing for the rest of the afternoon.  About to head home, I ran into a friend, and we chatted for a while.  Then a stranger approached us with a digital recorder, and he asked if he could ask us a question for a radio show.  I said, “probably!”  So he launched into, “OK, so the Cubs won the world series, and that hasn’t happened in 108 years.  And then Trump was actually elected president.  So, with all this going on, what’s next?”  I said, “Flying lizards,” just because it was the first thing that popped into my head, but if I had thought for even just a second, in retrospect, I would have said, “SUPERMOON!” because I’d heard that on that day, (November 14th), it was the biggest it’s been in 69 years, and it’s not going to be that big again for another 34!

supermoon

Oh well.  Next time I’ll make more sense.