The little box where people are supposed to check “male” or “female,” ubiquitous across medical and legal forms, is little more than an afterthought for some and creates enormous problems for others. Writing for Feministe, guest blogger Queen Emily recounts some of the horrifying experiences in doctors offices, customs lines, and even traffic stops she has had as a trans person. She writes:
The problem is this, my birth certificate says I am male, my gender presentation is female.They do not match. Until I can afford expensive genital surgery, I cannot change the marker on my birth certificate. No matter what I put, in a cissexist world, I am situated as a liar.
She continues:
This little box is a political battleground, one that we trans people are fighting on for the right to not be outed at every single crucial moment of our lives. In essence, to have our identifications treated as real, as worthy of respect as yours.
(Thanks, Obsidian Wings.)
