The Cutting Edge-August 2014
Barbara F.
Anderson, Ph.D., LCSW
From the Transgender Law Center (TLC) comes an
announcement of the implementation of AB1121.
It is a CA bill signed into law in Oct. 2013 and refers to obtaining an
accurate birth certificate without the need for a court-ordered gender change
in order to amend a gender marker on a birth certificate. Instead, one can submit a form with a
doctor’s letter to the state Department of Health accompanied by a $23.00 fee.
Additionally, those seeking a name change consistent with their gender identity
are no longer required to publish their intention in a local newspaper. Only if another person challenges the
requested name change is the applicant required to attend an in-person court
hearing.
The TLC has updated their comprehensive publication, ID
Please! It is a guide for
“navigating processes of updating California and federal identity documents to
reflect accurate gender markers.” For
more info, info@transgenderlawcenter.org.
More from the TLC:
Chelsea Manning will get “rudimentary treatment” for her transition,
according to Chuck Hagel, US Secretary of Defense. It is not clear what treatment will consist
of, but TLC will urge that all medically necessary health care be provided the
soldier convicted of leaking classified material to WikiLeaks. For background on this case, see the June
2014 edition of Devil Woman.
And more: Since 2011, Meggan Sommerville, transwoman, has
been suing her employer, Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc., for the right to use the
women’s restroom. HLS will only grant
permission upon seeing proof of gender confirmation surgery despite the fact
that her identity documents and her employer’s health plan acknowledge her as
female. In a more recent and widely
publicized case, her employer has received a favorable ruling from the Supreme
Court allowing them to deny health coverage of contraceptives pleading conflict
with religious beliefs.
On a happier note, TLC reports that San Francisco has
named a street after “transgender icon, Vicki Marlane.” At the end of the Trans March of the Pride
Parade, a new street sign was unveiled.
Turk St., between Jones and Taylor in the Tenderloin, has been renamed
in honor of the late transgender performer and community activist. Marlane died in 2011 of complications of
AIDS. She started her career as a
traveling circus performer, did drag throughout the country, and moved to San
Francisco in 1966. Her show, “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” at Aunt Charlie’s,
evolved into a weekly event, “The Hot Boxx Girls.”
Two interesting notices from WPATH (World Professional
Association for Transgender Health) arrived in June. “This month, the American Medical Association
joined the World Health organization in adopting a policy declaring that
transgender individuals should not be required to undergo genital surgery or
forced sterilization in order to change legal identification documents….” The goal is “to ensure that transgender
patients always receive appropriate preventive care regardless of whether or
not it matches with the gender on the birth certificate.” For more info, www.amaassn.org/ama/pub/news/2014
Also from WPATH, “Wall Street Journal Editorial Critiques
Transgender Health, July 2, 2014” A
spokesperson from the organization commented on an op-ed article by
conservative psychiatrist, Paul McHugh, who described trans identity as
“disordered” (whatever that means) and, ignoring generally accepted medical
opinion, argued that patients should be denied medically necessary treatment
such as hormonal and surgical interventions.
He believes that the growing support of transgender rights illustrate a
troubling trend toward affirmation rather than treating such individuals as ill
and confused.
A freebee: Free
trans and queer yoga is available at CounterPULSE, 80 Turk St.@ Taylor. For times and dates, <CounterPulse.org>
