I predicted that Texas would block gender change on birth certificates a few days ago. On 27-August, the news broke that they were no longer accepting court orders for drivers license gender change.
I was born in Texas, and I have little doubt that this order will ultimately be extended to birth certificates.
The news apparently broke three days later that the form required for birth certificate update no longer allows amendment for gender identity. Here’s what I saw this morning.
This news is from X (previously Twitter) via a self-described “pinch hitter” for the Houston Chronicle. I prefer not to give clicks to Musk, but if you want to read it directly, it’s here. The reporter’s comments:
ICYMI: Per @TransTexas, it looks like the Texas Dept. of Vital Statistics has removed the option to change your sex on a Texas state birth certificate, closing another option for transgender Texans to update their state identifying documents
This is beyond disappointing. I am very upset by this, and yet I can’t cry. Somewhere inside of me, I always anticipated this outcome. You may remember that I just started working on the steps to get a legal name and gender change order here where I now live.
The journey continues.
Edited to add: New policy blocks transgender Texans from changing sex on birth certificates – Houston Public Media : https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/lgbtq/2024/09/03/498414/new-policy-blocks-transgender-texans-from-changing-sex-on-birth-certificates/
Texans who have secured a court order to update the sex listed on their birth certificates can no longer do so at this time, a spokesperson for the Department of State Health Services confirmed to The Texas Newsroom.
An Aging Trans Woman 
what complete assholes there are in charge of Texas.
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I completely agree with your assessment.
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Yeah, it’s pretty bad when TX (and FL!) make KS and OK look like reasonable states. The only thing is, I see that other red states seem to follow along; maybe a little more slowly, but they do. Here, AG Kobach intimidates entities like school districts and corporations to jump on board with making life more difficult for women and LGBTQ+ without making the legislature write the laws, but those will come, I know. Sometimes the courts come in for the people before the laws get written, and/or our governor vetoes, which buys more time for the courts. But still, it holds people back from getting their own business taken care of.
Democracy is slow enough, as to extending rights and privileges to all, without fascists slowing it down more. sigh
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This would appear to be entirely executive action. No law changes were necessary. Texas has never specifically authorized those changes in law. It was just commonly done. Until now.
That’s according to the Texas .gov website:
Name & Gender Marker Changes – LGBT Law – Guides at Texas State Law Library
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Well, s–t. And hmmmm.
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Indeed. Oh and feel free to use curse words as the urge strikes. No need to self-censor.
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Oh, I will!😈 I just wanted to emphasize disappointment there.
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Hi. Janet this is … bullshit to put it nicely. It is driven by religious fever driven by a billionaire preacher that controls a lot of the politics via the republicans he donates to and protects by threatening to pay for them to be primaried. It is their view of being good Christians to hurt anyone different from them.
I am sorry this has happened to you. Thankfully the state you live in can change the other documents you need for daily life. I wish I had words to make this better or sooth the hurt you must feel.
The right lost the culture war on gay people because they did not manage to stop the acceptance and turn it into hatred for gay people. They decided they couldn’t allow that to happen again with trans people. So they decided to use every tactic including trying to bring back bullying of LGBTQ+ students in school to return the country to the society of 1950. I just don’t understand why that time frame and public society appeals to them so much? Are these people that hateful, that bigoted, that racist, that misogynist to feel the only way they can live / survive is to drive such hard on the country and deny the progress of civil rights. I hope you are doing well despite the setback in being your real self. Hugs. Scottie
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If I may ask, which billionaire preacher?
In short, yes they are.
I am doing well. And if for no other reason, I will still be myself, if just to spite these bastards. It’s one piece of paper. Is it heart-breaking? Absolutely. But my heart breaks particularly for those trans people condemned to continue living in Texas.
As you noted, I can get the documents I need day-to-day here where I live now. I will not let Texas bully me any more.
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Hi Janet. I can not find the name of the pastor, but here are three Texas billionaires trying hard to push Christian Nationalism. Tim Dunn, Farris Wilks and Dan Wilks have funneled immense resources to politicians who are carrying out their vision of Christian nationalism. https://www.tpr.org/news/2024-02-25/three-west-texas-billionaires-are-pushing-texas-to-the-far-right
Wait I did find it. It was Farris Wilks and Tim Dunn. The reason I couldn’t find it is the articles bury that information later in the writing concentrating on that oil and gas stuff. Former associates of Dunn and Wilks who spoke to CNN said the billionaires are both especially focused on education issues, and their ultimate goal is to replace public education with private, Christian schooling. Wilks is a pastor at the church his father founded, and Dunn preaches at the church his family attends. In their sermons, they paint a picture of a nation under siege from liberal ideas.
“The cornerstones of our government are crumbling and starting to come apart,” Wilks declared in a 2014 sermon at his insular church, the Assembly of Yahweh 7th Day. “And it’s because of the lack of morality, the lack of belief in our heavenly Father.”
https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/24/politics/texas-far-right-politics-invs/index.html
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/texas-politicians-far-right-christian-megadonors-rcna55546
I am so happy for you that you can get the changes needed for daily living. I don’t want to see our country turned in to a theocracy by ultra wealthy people who are straight cis and demand the country return to the way things were in 1950. Hugs. Scottie
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Thanks loads for taking the time to find that for me. I really appreciate it. Know thine enemy, and such.
Yes, my very existence is resistance against such people. As is yours and Ron’s. Blessings and 🫂
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FYI: I updated the post with confirmation from a spokesperson that this is now the policy. 🤷♀️
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