MILWAUKEE — When it comes to changing your gender, people who are trans can face challenges getting their documents to match their identity.
In this month of celebrating Wisconsin’s LGBTQ+ community, these hurdles are no small task. In addition, having a gender that doesn’t match your documents could pose a danger to some people.
Keltie Moon has already gone through multiple medical steps to live the gender she identifies with. But she had no idea how much effort it would take to get her driver’s license and birth certificate to match.
“How long have you been trying to change your license and your birth certificate?” asked reporter Rebecca Klopf.
"About eight months I would say, since about November 2022. Yeah, so it has been a while,” said Moon.
The Milwaukee LGBT Community Center says it is possible to do it yourself, without legal help. But it is not a streamlined process so it means a lot of work for the individual.
"Each state, the laws for updating your name and your gender marker are different state to state too. That adds another level of complexity to it,” said Bex Streit, transgender and gender non-conforming program director at MKE LGBT Community Center.
Moon, who was born in Virginia, is changing her Virginia birth certificate and Wisconsin Driver’s License. She has multiple lawyers working with her to navigate the process.
"I had to get a lawyer who knows Virginia law on top of Wisconsin law to collaborate on what Virginia requires as well,” said Moon.
And it is possible to change some documents without changing others. The National Center for Transgender Equality says in Wisconsin, you can change the gender on a license with either a doctor's statement or a court order. While a birth certificate requires a court hearing.
But if your documents do not match the gender you identify with, Streit says it could out a transgender person and also be dangerous.
"The biggest issue with not having a gender marker that matches your expression is mostly a safety concern,” said Streit. "That is just a signal to folks that I am trans and that could put me in a risky situation."
“It is really important to me because I think it is very validating not only for my identity, but also just no matter where I am traveling my driver’s license or my state ID and my passport will show my name, my gender marker, along with my birth certificate,” said Moon.
If you or someone you know wants to change your gender marker, the place to start is the MKE LGBT Community Center which can connect you to legal resources. Or you can go to the Milwaukee Justice Center for help.
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