A friend of mine who changed her name a few months ago received a phone call from Charing Cross yesterday to inform her that her deed poll (which had been seen and approved of in her presence by both receptionists and medical staff working at the clinic) was “inappropriate”. As such, they will revert to using her male name in correspondence.
She says that: I have found out that my deed poll is ‘inappropriate’ because it has not been signed by, and I quote, the “Government Deed Poll Issuing Authority”.
They didn’t like her deed poll because she printed it herself, using a free template (similar to this one). A lot of young trans people do this because we often cannot afford to “buy” a deed poll. Others on low income or benefits are likely to use these deed polls too.
These documents are widely accepted. My friend whose deed poll was not good enough for Charing Cross has successfully changed the name on her driving license with hers, for example.
Apparently this wasn’t a one-off case. My friend pointed out that she knew others with similar deed polls which had been accepted by the gender clinic. She was informed: “then they are most certainly in our pile of deed polls to return and names to revert to the original name on the deed poll.”
I honestly don’t know what the hell they think they’re playing at. My own DIY deed poll was used to change my name with a university, the NHS, a couple of banks and on my passport. I fail to understand what makes Charing Cross gender clinic so special that they get to not-accept someone’s (perfectly legal) change of name, just because it hasn’t been witnessed by a solicitor.
This policy seems to demonstrate once again that Charing Cross do not have their patients’ best interests at heart. Rejecting deed polls like this will be a blow to many trans people who already have low confidence or self-esteem, and could be dangerous for those who have already changed their name and are living “stealth” if the clinic sends them correspondence addressed to their old name.
Edit: Following complaints, this policy was reversed.
Dr Ruth Pearce 
I think the Gender Identity Clinic is quite correct in dismissing your friends application of deed, if you have not changed your name by law, then you cannot expect to be recognised legally.
A drafted and signed draft is not legal until it goes through the courts accompanied by an affidavit.
This is why the Gender Identity Clinic exists! They do not deal with “Trans Issues!”
Secondly, and probably more profoundly there is no such thing as “Stealth” you either are or are not born with Gender Identity Disorder!
If you are, this clinic is here to help you come to terms with and deal with the condition in your own time and with regard to the outcomes of your decision(s).
The protocols in place are there to stop certain individuals that are unsure or uncertain of themselves from going through a life changing process that is irreversible and rightly so.
I suggest your friend write to the Gender Identity Clinic addressing his/her concerns with the labelling on correspondence and ask if an alias can be used until your name change has been legalised.
Hi Marian,
You do not need to do anything to legally change your name. A deed poll exists to recognise that name change, and is not the “legal change” itself. You certainly do not need to go through the courts!
More information can be found here: http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/your_family/family/faq_index_family/faq_family_changing_my_name.htm
This information applies to England, Wales and Northern Ireland
“Anyone over the age of 16 can change their name at any time. You can change either your forename, your surname or both. You can add new names or drop a name you do not want. You can use your new name for all purposes including getting married or applying for a passport. You can not change your name for purposes of fraud.
You do not have to fill in any forms or get permission. You just start using your changed name instead of your old one. However, you may find that some organisations want to see written evidence of your name change. This could be a letter from a doctor, priest or solicitor, or an announcement in the press. You may prefer to make a statutory declaration or change your name by deed poll.”
As mentioned in my previous post, my own deed poll (that has not been seen by a solicitor or any court) has been accepted by numerous bodies, including the UK passport service.
The gender clinic most certainly has a duty to recognise an individual’s legal name and stated identity. They have absolutely no right to put in place protocols that fail to do so, even if they do have the ability to deny treatment.
There is such a thing as “stealth”, whether we’d like it to exist or not. Someone may or may not be trans, but it’s possible to move through life during and post transition without others being aware of this. Personally, I’d rather that there was no need for the concept, but unfortunately many of those lucky enough to do so feel the need to not disclose their trans status.
Well, they phoned on Thursday. Given their track record, they should be sending me the rejection letter in about a month or two…
Also quite telling that a google for “deed poll issuing authority”
http://www.google.com/search?q=deed%20poll%20issuing%20authority
turns up 1 result: this blog post.
I meant this:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22deed+poll+issuing+authority%22
Pingback: Update on the Charing Cross gender clinic deed poll affair « Trans Youth Takes On World
I really like when people are expressing their opinion and thought. So I like the way you are writing
Odd as i managed not only to change my tax, NHS, rent, council tax, bank, utility companies, passport, as well as attain my gender recognition certificate and female birth certificate with a DIY as they put it Deed of name change document. It was never challenged by anyone, even at my gender identity ckinic, why do C X feel they can go against protocols accepted by all government departments
Oh, did you not get the memo? CHX is above the law, see.
Er,
Go to a solicitor who swears oaths.
They have the uk courts authority to swear in
a Stat Dec name change.
When doing this, they are recognised as an agent of the court.
It costs £5 IIRC
plus £2 per stamped copy. You need about 15 copies for tax, council, education certificates, utility companies
so they change your name & sex.
Oh, CX recognises these.
Its easy. Why do so many of you lot {Angst transsexuals}
get in such a tizzy.
Frak, transitioning is dead easy.
So enjoy it
Also stop making it “the world is against me”
coz it isn’t.
TBH, most of the world doesn’t give a stuff & barely notices us.
So get a grip!
And don’t overcomplicate things.
It really is easy.
Quack! 😉
Hi misha,
My reply to you got a little over-baked, so I’ve responded in the form of two new posts in the main body of the blog.
Misha, if the law allows for a home-made deed poll to be legally valid once it is co-signed by an appropriate witness then that’s that. It’s a nonsense for Charing Cross to demand people shell out money for something which is above and beyond what the law requires. A deed poll which is good enough for the DVLA ought to be good enough for Charing Cross, especially in view of the fact that most of the NHS does not require any documentary proof whatsoever in order to amend your details.
What is more galling, however, is your attitude that people should just suck it up and jump through whatever hoops CX would have them jump through this week. Charing Cross have taken the mickey for far too long now, and any valid argument against their ridiculous edicts ought to be met with the applause of trans people rather than condemnation.
This is why trans activists grow a short fuse over time. Because there’s idiots out there, lumped in our little tickbox, who will neither shit nor get off the pot, but sit on the pot bitching vocally at those who are getting it done.
To quote someone who had quite an influence on me: “fuckin’ sort it out!”
What do transsexuals
&
Islamic fundamentalists have in common?
Say just one wrong word and the grenade pin gets pulled.
Okey.
I actually get off my back side & do stuff rather than moan about it on self serving tranny forums.
I did so with my CX stuff a few years ago.
& I am currently doing so again for two friends getting the CX admin shit.
This does not involve bitching on forums
but persistently ringing
Clinical head, James Barrett
Secretary of Linda Stradins CX head of admin
and linda herself.
I intend to meet linda
On Behalf Of my two friends,
sort their shit out,
Then bung a whole load of tranny forums Printouts…
bitching about it all…
into lindas lap
and get a commitment & timescale for change.
I was doing this most of last week by
from my partners penthouse suite on the med.
I’ll keep pushing till I get a meet or just go anyway
if linda doesn’t want to meet!!!
I got the “Balanced sorted tranny badge” from CX
so they can hardly issue an injunction
or section me!!! 😉
Two posts on Chix serious forum:
By me:
After 3 days of numerous pestering phone calls,
I got linda Stradins CX head of admin’s phone number.
I WON’T PUBLISH THAT NUMBER, YET.
I’m out of the uk till tomorrow, but left my mob & overseas number for linda to call me.
I have requested her secretary to book a 1 to 1 meeting
between linda & me, next week
I will get linda’s commitment to specifically to sort out the shit as outlined in this thread, in as far as it applies to two friends.
Then I’ll hand linda the summary of feelings on this forum thread
along with shit on other tranny forums
then get commitment, plan of action and timescales
Then publish the same
along with lindas phone numbers.
CX have already documented me as a successfully sorted out tranny,
so they can hardly get pissy at me for direct stuff like this.
In fact, I am quite sure they will be quite proud!
Note. I’m doing this ONLY to sort out shit
for two specific friends.
Other than that I really will not get into sorting out tranny stuff on the nhs
But I will point out what a fuck up the admin is
& push the shit out of them till they fix it, as government bureaucracy
pisses me off.
I’ll leave methodology up on this board, so others can copy to sort out their own shit.
This is the only way for vulnerable trans, to get results
coz people, the NHS admin at CX
are pissing down your backs.
M. xxx
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Quote:
Kimberley_Whittaker said:
sadly I suspect you will get the same old answers that the stakeholders members get when raising exactly the same issues.
Good luck though
Probably, but I can go at a different angle to you and the skake holders.
I’m doing it for just two people,
and don’t have to worry about my relations with linda and the admin
as I will not be meeting her regularly, like you / stakeholders.
I like to make new friends; Linda is about to be my latest!
Ps. linda & the complaints dept have not come back to me
I think that is linda’s way of saying she prefers to meet at random, face to face
in her office…..
I’m fine about that.
{good job I can read between the lines of things linda hasn’t even said, to know exactly what she wants me to do….}
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So any TS wannabe here who feels I suck up to CX,
…Well, you can suck my mother fucking cock.
OK
{Anything Else Misha?}
Yeah, sue me.
Pingback: What’s in a name? (the importance of free deed polls) « Trans Youth Takes On World
Actually, would love to talk to anyone interested in this issue
I am in the process of putting together a submission to government around the basic thesis that demands for deed polls and other such documentation are fundamentally discriminatory against trans persons in the case of deed polls and against women in the case of marriage and divorce certificates.
There is no legal requirement for any such documentation if you wish to “change” your name: in fact, your name is what you are known as. Period. My name is Jane Fae. Virtually no-one remains who uses my previous name.
The only person who used it of late was a charlatan at Charing Cross who decided to humiliate me by calling it out in front of a bunch of other people in their reception.
I have made most of the changes to my life – tax, VAT, local council, electoral register WITHOUT a deed poll. Am about to open a new bank account WITHOUT a deed poll, which seems to leave the only places demanding it as nPower, Tesco’s Clubcard, and Charing Cross. Idiots.
Their representation of the law is just wrong: I raised the fact that there is no such thing as a “legal name” with the Home Office about two months back and….a day later the Home Office lawyers got back to me and apologised for getting the law wrong. I had a similar convo with Ch X a little before that and…they took no notice whatsoever. It would appear that psychiatrists believe themselves to be above the law.
In some places, such an attitude would be considered delusional…but in the GI service, it is about par for the course.
Jane
xx
If mtf trans = yes then
Stat dec + gp + counselling + local psych + wait + CX(3)
= hormones
******do hair and make-up at local tec and take out su ID card*****
Have a nice life xxx 😉
They are wrong, there is no central official deed poll office. A deed poll can be done by anyone as long as it is executed correctly, much like a will.