We just moved to Ohio and went through the process to get REAL ID here. I had my original SSN card, which had the wording "valid for work only with INS authorization", and they rejected it even tho' I also presented my passport (proving I'm a US citizen and therefore my SSN is permanent). I drove home, got my latest W-2, drove back and presented that -- and they still had a discussion about whether to accept it as proof of my SSN, even tho' W-2 is listed on their own website as valid proof of SSN. We both already had REAL ID from California but of course that means nothing in Ohio. They even said "we're just following federal law" at one point... and I bit my tongue.
They complained that we didn't bring our marriage certificate -- even tho' neither of us changed our names (we got married 25 years ago!), and it did not say we needed that on their website.
And we're both cis, very white, and in our 60s, so I can't begin to imagine how difficult these bureaucratic workers can make life for anyone less privileged :(
Sorry to hear about your experience. It shows that no one is safe in this police state formerly known as the United States of America, home of the free.
Chump & Muskrat fire at will hundred of thousands of employees doing great work. Of course they keep the most inefficient department: the DMV and its lackadaisical, seemingly always angry employees.
Ok, this is why everyone needs to carry the actual policy from the Department of State that says your passport with the X marker and/or a gender marker different from assigned at birth is valid as long as your passport isn’t expired.
They do not care any such contradiction. They'll go back on their word the very next day if it means they get to hurt people like us. Fascism has no remorse, no internal consistency, no empathy. It seeks only to acquire power over a target by any means available. You could carry the very law they're bound by, they'll swat it away and use it as toilet paper. They do not care. Words mean nothing to them.
This seems like good advice. I think I'll do that if I have to board a flight. Honestly though, that's one of the many things I'm going to be avoiding if possible for the foreseeable future.
Executive Orders exclusively have any potential legal power only over employees of the Executive Branch of government. EOs have no authority whatsoever contrary any law, or, regulation issued per any law. The President may not order any person to violate any law whatsoever.
Every other legal person, individual or corporate entity, voluntarily complying with any EO at all opens themselves to legal liability for any and all torts and consequences for such actions. They are exclusively under their own recognizance and responsibility in obeying them. The existence of an EO provides them no legal cover at all.
(Edit: yes I reported it all.. they didn't do anything other than give me a $100 voucher) Coast Starlight, Amtrak in California (going back to Oregon) almost didn't let me on last month because I accidentally blurted my preferred name instead of my legal (I was sick and sleep deprived too... changing it soon...) and I was almost stranded in the bay area at 12am due to "TSA rules " and the conductor literally shunned me, let everyone else board without asking names, I was the only one questioned and he didn't even accept my ID and ticket I was begging for him to just look at even until a trans woman had to intervene and help me. He was bickering with us for 20 mins... Without her I would of been stranded... Amtrak never fired the guy, he's still working on the coast starlight... Oh!! And he called me a smart ass when I told him I'm autistic as I was getting overwhelmed on him ignoring me because I was obviously confused and scared as hell ...
S. Baum’s article mentions the Lambda Legal lawsuit, but it didn’t also mention the ACLU passport lawsuit filed months ago and then just ruled on recently in federal court. In it, six plaintiffs won a ruling against the state department’s anti-trans passport policy, and the ACLU is now seeking to have that extended to all trans people.
How this horrible passport policy bypassed Congress and the usual public feedback mechanisms, and was applied even to people, who have had bottom surgery, is just mind-numbing and horribly cruel. It proved to be an incredibly wise decision to renew documents while Biden was still President, for those that fortuitously did that. Traveling with the wrong gender marker in certain middle eastern countries could get one accused of “impersonating women” and they could face flogging, imprisonment, or worse.
This mother fukker needs to be stopped… his whole clown car needs to put on a cargo ship and sent off to Gaza….. I am so sorry this happened to Miss Major and am incredibly grateful to her for sharing this. I will always carry my passport, even tho the govt confiscated my 1st renewal with identity gender marker and then sent me one with my birth gender.
Soul Plane doesn’t require ID at all. Fly Soul Plane. Soul Plane offers a very pleasant in air experience too. You’re even allowed to smoke certain substances while in the air.
Also, keep watching for us to get our injunction against the current anti trans passports policies expanded to everyone (and not just plaintiffs) so we can start filling out the applications correctly again.
Some Bureaucrats are bigots and not trained well but written policy if you have it in your back pocket should still carry the day. Just keep going up the ladder of Supervisors should you win the bigot lottery and then have your Congress persons number in your back pocket and see if the Supervisor wants to debate policy with their Congress person’s office. As ugly as some Congress people are most will tell them to follow written procedure. And most people are traveling with X marker papers without being harassed. You can also call the DOS which might be easier. 18774872778
If accurately reported by Miss Major, this strikes me as employee error rather than official policy. I agree that carrying the official policy should help in these moments, unless the true motive is harassment. I think that would apply to only a very small number of agents. Most of them should be just doing their job as they understand it.
I am a trans journalist shooting a documentary on the trans community in Bogota, Colombia this month. I have not traveled internationally as a trans woman since 2018 when I went to Mumbai for FFS. I have a passport and REAL ID that say female and pass fairly well (although you never really know...there's always someone out there...clocking you...👀) but I can say without a doubt I am having serious anxiety over this. I am not afraid of going to Colombia. I'm afraid of re-entering the US through Dallas, TX and going through Customs. How worried should I be?
I’m needing to fly back to United States as I need two surgeries and I’m on Medicare. I was going to wait intil September but I fear something will happen to our Medicare by then as I’ve listened to a few other trans elders indicate they’ve had surgeries non related to anything gender cancelled . All my documents add up and I emerged as my true self about 30 yrs ago ( i look the gender on my documents ). I really need to get these surgeries done and I’m wondering if any other folks have had trouble entering back into their country , USA. I’d appreciate hearing folks experiences so I can make an informed decision .
We just moved to Ohio and went through the process to get REAL ID here. I had my original SSN card, which had the wording "valid for work only with INS authorization", and they rejected it even tho' I also presented my passport (proving I'm a US citizen and therefore my SSN is permanent). I drove home, got my latest W-2, drove back and presented that -- and they still had a discussion about whether to accept it as proof of my SSN, even tho' W-2 is listed on their own website as valid proof of SSN. We both already had REAL ID from California but of course that means nothing in Ohio. They even said "we're just following federal law" at one point... and I bit my tongue.
They complained that we didn't bring our marriage certificate -- even tho' neither of us changed our names (we got married 25 years ago!), and it did not say we needed that on their website.
And we're both cis, very white, and in our 60s, so I can't begin to imagine how difficult these bureaucratic workers can make life for anyone less privileged :(
Sorry to hear about your experience. It shows that no one is safe in this police state formerly known as the United States of America, home of the free.
Chump & Muskrat fire at will hundred of thousands of employees doing great work. Of course they keep the most inefficient department: the DMV and its lackadaisical, seemingly always angry employees.
Ok, this is why everyone needs to carry the actual policy from the Department of State that says your passport with the X marker and/or a gender marker different from assigned at birth is valid as long as your passport isn’t expired.
They do not care any such contradiction. They'll go back on their word the very next day if it means they get to hurt people like us. Fascism has no remorse, no internal consistency, no empathy. It seeks only to acquire power over a target by any means available. You could carry the very law they're bound by, they'll swat it away and use it as toilet paper. They do not care. Words mean nothing to them.
There is no "they". Personnel are policy, and there is no such monadness to the employees of the Executive.
This seems like good advice. I think I'll do that if I have to board a flight. Honestly though, that's one of the many things I'm going to be avoiding if possible for the foreseeable future.
I haven't seen it brought up here before:
Executive Orders exclusively have any potential legal power only over employees of the Executive Branch of government. EOs have no authority whatsoever contrary any law, or, regulation issued per any law. The President may not order any person to violate any law whatsoever.
Every other legal person, individual or corporate entity, voluntarily complying with any EO at all opens themselves to legal liability for any and all torts and consequences for such actions. They are exclusively under their own recognizance and responsibility in obeying them. The existence of an EO provides them no legal cover at all.
(Edit: yes I reported it all.. they didn't do anything other than give me a $100 voucher) Coast Starlight, Amtrak in California (going back to Oregon) almost didn't let me on last month because I accidentally blurted my preferred name instead of my legal (I was sick and sleep deprived too... changing it soon...) and I was almost stranded in the bay area at 12am due to "TSA rules " and the conductor literally shunned me, let everyone else board without asking names, I was the only one questioned and he didn't even accept my ID and ticket I was begging for him to just look at even until a trans woman had to intervene and help me. He was bickering with us for 20 mins... Without her I would of been stranded... Amtrak never fired the guy, he's still working on the coast starlight... Oh!! And he called me a smart ass when I told him I'm autistic as I was getting overwhelmed on him ignoring me because I was obviously confused and scared as hell ...
Restricting the target group's ability to travel...
S. Baum’s article mentions the Lambda Legal lawsuit, but it didn’t also mention the ACLU passport lawsuit filed months ago and then just ruled on recently in federal court. In it, six plaintiffs won a ruling against the state department’s anti-trans passport policy, and the ACLU is now seeking to have that extended to all trans people.
How this horrible passport policy bypassed Congress and the usual public feedback mechanisms, and was applied even to people, who have had bottom surgery, is just mind-numbing and horribly cruel. It proved to be an incredibly wise decision to renew documents while Biden was still President, for those that fortuitously did that. Traveling with the wrong gender marker in certain middle eastern countries could get one accused of “impersonating women” and they could face flogging, imprisonment, or worse.
This mother fukker needs to be stopped… his whole clown car needs to put on a cargo ship and sent off to Gaza….. I am so sorry this happened to Miss Major and am incredibly grateful to her for sharing this. I will always carry my passport, even tho the govt confiscated my 1st renewal with identity gender marker and then sent me one with my birth gender.
I hate these mother fukkerz!!!!
Even gladder I got all my ID — except passport, dammit — updated/corrected/in sync over the past three months, including my TSA PreCheck. Whew!
“Gladder” in theory, of course. Let’s see what happens when I try to fly RDU-MSP this summer… and back again…. 🤔 🤔 🤔
Soul Plane doesn’t require ID at all. Fly Soul Plane. Soul Plane offers a very pleasant in air experience too. You’re even allowed to smoke certain substances while in the air.
Also, keep watching for us to get our injunction against the current anti trans passports policies expanded to everyone (and not just plaintiffs) so we can start filling out the applications correctly again.
Some Bureaucrats are bigots and not trained well but written policy if you have it in your back pocket should still carry the day. Just keep going up the ladder of Supervisors should you win the bigot lottery and then have your Congress persons number in your back pocket and see if the Supervisor wants to debate policy with their Congress person’s office. As ugly as some Congress people are most will tell them to follow written procedure. And most people are traveling with X marker papers without being harassed. You can also call the DOS which might be easier. 18774872778
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/passport-help/sex-marker.html
If accurately reported by Miss Major, this strikes me as employee error rather than official policy. I agree that carrying the official policy should help in these moments, unless the true motive is harassment. I think that would apply to only a very small number of agents. Most of them should be just doing their job as they understand it.
America is becoming a miserable place to live.....
I am a trans journalist shooting a documentary on the trans community in Bogota, Colombia this month. I have not traveled internationally as a trans woman since 2018 when I went to Mumbai for FFS. I have a passport and REAL ID that say female and pass fairly well (although you never really know...there's always someone out there...clocking you...👀) but I can say without a doubt I am having serious anxiety over this. I am not afraid of going to Colombia. I'm afraid of re-entering the US through Dallas, TX and going through Customs. How worried should I be?
We take our shoes off at the airports because of one lunatic hiding a bomb. We now need ID , "real" ID, because....one president is a lunatic? W.T.F.
I’m needing to fly back to United States as I need two surgeries and I’m on Medicare. I was going to wait intil September but I fear something will happen to our Medicare by then as I’ve listened to a few other trans elders indicate they’ve had surgeries non related to anything gender cancelled . All my documents add up and I emerged as my true self about 30 yrs ago ( i look the gender on my documents ). I really need to get these surgeries done and I’m wondering if any other folks have had trouble entering back into their country , USA. I’d appreciate hearing folks experiences so I can make an informed decision .