Here's my account of correcting name & sex on all forms of identification, buckle up it's quite a ride.

A Respite In The Northwest 

It begins in Washington State, I had a temporary work assignment there, so I thought why not take advantage of the lax laws and progressive attitude the state has towards updating documents. The idea was to switch my license from AL to WA, and get my name changed before I headed back to sweet home Alabama. I walked into the DMV in Longview Washington , nervous as I definitely did not have adequate proof of residency. However they didn’t ask for any documentation, to my surprise, the clerk said “what do you want the gender on your license to say”. Wow! I wasn’t expecting that. I happily got my new license with the special surprise of it reading my gender identity(to this day that is the happiest driver licenses picture I have ever seen).I then headed to a local courthouse, and scheduled a hearing to have my name changed. The hearing would be in a few months, and luckily was via zoom. So, I made my way back to Alabama and eventually had the hearing, I was issued a court order (which was mailed to my via the help of a family member) stating that my name was legally changed and my documents need to be corrected. 

Coming Back To Reality

With a court order in hand, and a license that read female, I went to Montgomery AL's Coliseum DMV to update my name and gender marker. (Here’s where the “show” really begins.) At the DMV I was informed that “whatever info is on the social security card, is what's license will read”.

After doing some research on the process to update social security records, I request & receive a letter from my hormone doctor stating “I have undergone the appropriate medical treatment to transition into the new gender”.

I then head over to Montgomery’s Social Security office, essentially having to argue to get my name changed. I was denied the gender marker update on the basis of 'needing proof of sex change', despite presenting the doctor’s note (which I later find out is fully adequate). 

I head to Coliseum DMV again, where I'm initially told I can't update my name OR gender without showing proof of a sex change operation (obviously, they were misconstruing the birth certificate amendment law, which requires a name change). Holding back tears I argue, get a supervisor, and I'm able to get my name only updated on license (not before being taken in the back room for 'proof of sex change' in an attempt to try and change gender marker). Goodbye WA license with my gender identity and a smile, welcome back AL license where I look miserable and has the incorrect gender marker. 

Lies, Deceit, Deception Revealed, A Phoenix Must Reset  

Saddened and Angry, feeling violated legally and mentally, I set out to find the exact wording of the law, and do ANYTHING to get my documents corrected.

Many sleepless nights, conversations with lawyers & public officials, public records requests, etc ensued.

As it turns out Social Security gave me bad information, I found half a dozen documents from SSA's website, and had email conversation with SSA higher-ups confirming I'm able to update my gender marker without 'proof of sex change'

It also turns out, as I wasn't born in AL, I am able to amend birth certificate & license without proof of sex change.

Two things became apparent to me:

A Fire Inside

 1 AL's gender change info was very hard to find (most of which isn't publicly available) coupled with a constant stream of misinformation left me only able to feel that it is designed this way to discourage & inhibit transgender individuals updating their documents.

 1 I couldn't allow them to push me off to process my request at some head office, solely because I'm different to them.

They lit a fire inside, I made sure my (illegal) denial of service was not in vein, and used it as the main tool to collect and document evidence: that I'm allowed to change gender without some operation, that they had no authority or basis to have denied me. More importantly it became about doing everything in my ability to make sure they stop giving false/inaccurate information and denying service of transgender individuals on bases of gender identities the state isn’t familiar with.

I went to vital statistics (head dmv) and had a number of productive conversations (confirming im in the right) with various head supervisors, printed out (and highlighted) everything regarding gender change on SSA'S website, as well as having emailed them and confirmed I'm I'm the right. [Everything thing from conversations to ssa info can be found linked here : 

convo (1) & (2)

SSA documents (1) (2) (3) ]

Into The Lions Den; A Resolution With Too Many Casualties

Armed with information from the governments superior agencies saying I had the right to update my documents, I went to Social Security, flooded them with paper work, argued, and got the gender change. I then went to the Coliseum DMV who originally denied me (and should've received a call saying they can't deny individuals with updated birth certificates) and got my license almost no questions asked, aside from the original supervisor who denied me, when I saw her I ensured she knew I was updating my license without a sex change operation.

No apologies from any of the government officials, just them trying to bait and switch me at the end ("you didn't have birth certificate the first time" yeah you told me all you accepted was proof of sex change" (SSA: "our policy had changed since you came in last”.

 It’s a shame there's no accountability when someone makes a mistake.