It’s like navigating a maze.

It’s like navigating a maze.

Navigating the terrain of the things you can change and can’t change in official documentation in Australia is like finding your way through a maze that is ever changing.

To do so for some things a simple statement from your doctor is all that is required, for others you must have undergone GRS.

It changes state to state. If I lived in the ACT, I would in fact simply need a few bits of paper from the relevant clinicians and I could have a certificate of recognition issued. I believe this is also the case in South Australia.

In my state of residence, where I have lived for about half of my 47 years, GRS is still required. Although that may be a bit of a grey area too. There was legislation before the parliament to change it so that those of us who are gender divergent and trans would in fact be able to access a change of details certificate without GRS.

Unfortunately finding the information proves extremely difficult. There are multiple new articles about the legislation, and even notation of it on the parliament website, but nothing to say whether the legislation has passed or not.

In my state of Birth, in order to have a sex/gender change recorded I must undergo GRS, and not be married!

Of course the elephant in the room is that GRS is not for everyone. This is for a range of reasons. Some of those reasons are all about affordability, but not the only reason. Many trans and non-binary individuals choose not to seek surgery. The reasons and rationales behind this are complex, and deeply individual and personal to the people involved.

In order to change my gender markers with many organisations I required very little. In order to do obtain a birth certificate or a complimentary document, due simply to the state in which I reside is impossible. And yet, if my address was 600km different I would in fact be able to do so.

Apparently the law in South Australia has changed also, however again, finding the relevant information on the registry website is an exercise in frustration and futility.

This ridiculous situation should not be. We are treated as effectively non people. It’s a simple thing really, or at least it should be, to have official documentation that reflects our true gender just like the majority of the population is able to have. The current situation is treating us as second class citizens. Only allowed some things, as though the authorities will humour us by dangling recognition in a few ways in the hope that will satisfy us and that we will simply go away and stop making a noise.

The situation as it stands, is inequitable and affords rights to some people because of their postcode that others are denied.

Why must a trans or NB person need to either move to another state, or, as I am sure is the case in some situations, obtain falsified address information in order to obtain a document that enables them to have the appropriate identity documents that all other citizens have a right to.

This maze of disinformation needs to be demolished and national legislation that enables transgender people to have the correct gender marker on their documents.

The simple fact is that the current situation is inequitable and unfair.