Article Summary

http://www.santamariasun.com/cover/12784/the-born-identity-why-its-so-important-for-transgender-people-to-change-their-documents-and-how-its-now-easier-to-do-so/



 
          The main idea of this article is to inform us why it is important for transgenders to change their documents. People judge transgenders for what they want to be. Getting their documents changed is really hard because they have to go through the court and have expensive court orders. Good news is that there is a new law in California, AB 1121, to make everthing easier and more accessible for them. One fact or example that supports this main idea is "AB 1121 made it easier, cheaper, and more private for Californians to change their gender markers on documents. The first phase of the new law went into effect Jan. 1, 2014, and removed the requirement that someone be forced to present a court order to change his or her gender on a birth certificate. Instead, anyone could take a physician’s note directly to the California Department of Public Health and pay a $23 fee to make the change." Another fact or idea that supports this main idea is that "Only 21 percent of people who already made the transition from one gender to another reported that they had updated all of their ID documents and records, according to the National Transgender Discrimination Survey." In addition, the author is trying to tell us that gender transition isn't easy. There are also states that don't allow gender transitions such as Tennessee, Idaho, Ohio, and Puerto Rico. Finally, the court and transgenders illustrates us that it is important for transgenders to change their documents.