Transgender Texans blocked from changing their sex on their driver’s license
feeds.texastribune.org
The Texas Department of Public Safety rule change surfaced in an internal email that also asks driver license staff to compile the names of people seeking a gender marker change.

The Texas Department of Public Safety rule change surfaced in an internal email that also asks driver license staff to compile the names of people seeking a gender marker change.

  • @gedaliyahOPM
    43•4 months ago

    On Tuesday, DPS stopped accepting court orders as a basis to change a person’s sex on their drivers license, the agency announced in a statement Wednesday evening. The change was prompted by the office of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s concerns about “the validity” of court orders.

    Employees are also instructed to “scan into the record” court orders or other documentation relating to the sex change request.It is not clear how that information will be used. Two years ago, Paxton directed employees at DPS to compile a list of individuals who had changed their gender on their Texas driver’s licenses and other department records.

    • macniel
      49•4 months ago

      Court orders are issued by a legal court, yes? So that department is actively blocking a judicial ruling? Couldn’t that department then be fined for that shit?

      • @[email protected]
        21•4 months ago

        God, I wish it was that easy when I changed my name and gender… and that was in California! My understanding is CA doesn’t require this anymore, but after I got my court order I had to get my doctor to fill out this form certifying me as a Real Transgender before the DMV would update shit. And this wasn’t in the 90s or anything, it was less than a decade ago. I consider myself lucky that the requirement to publish an ad in the paper announcing your name change was removed before I got mine done.

        • Chozo
          20•4 months ago

          the requirement to publish an ad in the paper announcing your name change

          What the fuck? Please tell me this is a joke that’s going over my head.

          Edit: Holy shit, I just looked into it, I had no idea this was a thing in some states. What the hell, how is this not considered incredibly endangering to people?

          • @[email protected]
            23•4 months ago

            It absolutely is not a joke. It’s normal for regular name changes to require publishing a notice in the paper as well, the idea being that it’s a way to keep people honest (or at least findable) if someone is changing their name to duck out on their debts. There are exceptions for publishing notices if you’re changing your name due to domestic violence and stuff like that too.

            But as is immediately obvious to anyone with a couple of brain cells to rub together, it can be INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS to a trans person to announce in the paper that they’re having a big trans name change!

          • Tiefling IRL
            6•4 months ago

            I changed mine a decade ago in NY, it was a requirement then. The judge almost denied my name change because he couldn’t comprehend why someone would change their name for non-marital reasons.

            Having legal recognition as a trans person is a lot easier now, but it’s still not perfect and requires so many layers of additional bullshit bureaucracy that cis people don’t have to deal with.

        • @[email protected]
          3•4 months ago

          My state still does that and requires an updated birth certificate and social security card. My birth state requires an updated driver’s license and secondary ID and court order. I don’t have the energy, time, and money to argue with 2 states, the judicial system, and multiple federal offices, and get a therapist to sign off on the fact that I’m not just submitting myself to all this as an elaborate prank.

    • @UltravioletEnglish
      12•4 months ago

      The headline really fucking buried the lede here. Texas is secretly compiling a list of trans residents for unknown reasons, we only know this because of a whistleblower.