Problems with changing your name legally

Thursday:-

A normal day? A problem with my bank discriminating against me because of my name change. The normality of doing the weekly shop except for me this mundane chore is still an absolute delight. Then a lovely girly evening & a fun party at which I am so happy to be on the right side, for the banter between the sexes. Definitely a good day.

Name change problem:-

(In case you are wondering the picture to the left is not me before facial feminisation surgery, thank you very much. I was never that pretty! The photo is of international gender terrorist "Georgina Bush" up to yet more Monkey business with human rights, with the aid of some Scottish chap. Both of whom are up to their necks in the Brown stuff!) My sincere appologies to any Orang- Utans who may be offended by reading this discriminatory joke.

Please see name change update below, for further explanation.

Having phoned my banks customer advice centre & visited my local branch in person to ensure that I had provided everything they required for the procedure of changing my name on my account some 3 weeks later they have just made an additional request for medical proof of my condition from a doctor. I had been waiting for my new card & cheque book to arrive a week or so ago. Now I know why they never arrived.

I do not object to any security checks they require on my account. What I cannot accept is the lateness of the additional requirement which could appear to be of a discriminatory nature due to their negligence. Their delay in sending me my new service card & cheque book, have recently caused me considerable difficulty & delays when attempting recent banking transactions. On the plus side for someone who was/is quite shy & with very low confidence levels I did not feel in the least bit embarrassed or awkward at the situation as the line of waiting customers became frustrated. I had every right to be there & be treated appropriately. I felt that they need to consider making their policy regarding Transsexuals & changes to their account details clearer for all concerned in the future.I had already provided in person, an official copy of the deed together with my passport details as proof of identity, as per their original request. I also made sure my covering letter requested a new card & book in my new name, be sent to me.

Their request seems all the stranger as their credit card company happily provided an additional card on my account, in my female name a year ago long before I had legally changed my name & have only this week provided me with my official legal name on.I now carry my walking papers & old passport with me should there be any other problems. I will be glad when my new driving license is sorted out.In the scheme of things this is only a very minor problem but has anyone else experienced this kind of additional request when changing their details at their bank or other places?

Everyone I have contacted or dealt with during the great paper chase which results from changing your name, have been really helpful, professional & respectful. Apart from one charming lady who works for a government department who sirred me continually & for whom anything seemed to be too much trouble for her. I was on the phone & my voice sounds better via email but even so she was aware of my situation. One out of a dozen or so is pretty good.It is so lovely being called miss after all these years. It costs nothing for them to say it but it means so much.

So far I have not been charged a fee for any of the changes except my driving license.I picked up my rattle get back in my pram & went down my bank toot sweet.Thanks to the support I received from my dear friends on a TS support forum at my banks request, I found some inner strength. Me being my usually meek & mild back bone less self, would have probably cowed down to their request but dam it why should I decided not to let them get away with it. This was a radical change in attitude for me & shows a really positive improvement in my self belief.

I have visited the bank & registered a formal complaint which is logged into their system & supposedly should have an answer in the morning. I had a long discussion with the manager & was really surprised when she suggested this was unlikely to have been as a result of one person & that a whole department would have decided to make the additional request. She assured me it was not intended as discrimination, but what else can it be? I asked for a copy of their policy for customers changing name or even if there was a specific policy for someone like me but she did not have one available. Surely this additional request cannot be the banks policy for everyone, can it?

The weekly shop still had to be done but I was quite happy. Little steps for little me. With my new found confidence & self belief I was just accepted as any other women suffering the delights of food shopping. Now shopping for clothes & shoes, that really is fun. Shame I cannot afford very much but window shopping is still very enjoyable.

Name change update:-

The bank were unable to give me an answer on Friday & so I will have to see what happens next week. In the mean time a kind friend of mine has been able to contact a friend of theirs who works for the same bank - she tells me that "names changes are getting more complicated/scrutinised because of new money laundering and anti-terrorist laws - so what happened to you is probably because of that rather than any anti TS stuff!!



Blame George Bush or Gordon Brown!!"



How the same company in the same week can happily issue me with a credit card in my new legal name no problem is beyond me. Are they going to get me to remove any implants in case they contain explosives or heaven forbid I may have a bomb concealed somewhere after my GRS? I cannot imagine they are going to ask everyone for medical proof as to why they have changed their name. How many gender terrorists are their in the world? I am sure the tabloids would have published some vile article by now if there were. I am now under increasing emotional pressure from my family to not make a fuss. If this is the banks policy & legal what options do I have? I am not sure where I should go from here?


PS I must dash I have some dodgy bank notes to print off to pay for my GRS & new rocket launcher! No doubt George Bushed is a prime candidate for gender reassignment & there would certainly be no shortage of volunteers to carry it out, should he ask!