Transgender people are human beings and like all human beings, we cant just be defined simply by our genitalia. Yet in most legal jurisdictions all over the world, that is exactly how the law does define Transgender people - by our genitalia, not by the sum total of our humanity Christopher Lee was a man. He lived as a man, his drivers license and other documents said he was a man. But, when the co-founder of the San Francisco Transgender Film Festival committed suicide in 2012, his grief-stricken friends were dismayed to learn his death certificate listed him by his anatomical gender, a woman. We were told the coroner bases it entirely on genitalia, said Chino Scott-Chung, Lees best friend and co-executor of his estate. I was shocked. I told them he was a man and lived his life as a man and there was documentation. They said there was nothing they could do about it. Transgender advocates are hoping a bill sailing through the California Legislature will ensure funeral directors and coroners take more than anatomy into consideration when determining what gender to list for transgender people. More sfgate/lgbt/article/Legislature-s-support-for-bills-marks-gay-5607718.php Its well past time that legislation was passed in all states that fully recognizes the humanity and human dignity of ALL transgender and other gender non conforming people - regardless of what surgery we may want or are able to afford. The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) has already done this (more bit.ly/1jrN9Uq) - its time that NSW and all other states follow suit and change our laws to allow all of us to change our birth certificates and be fully legally recognized in the gender of our choosing, not that which was assigned at birth after a cursory glance at out genitalia. We are each so much more than just a set of genitals - we each deserve so much better than to be so simply and callously defined by at law solely by them!
Posted on: Thu, 10 Jul 2014 04:51:20 +0000
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