DMV allegedly refuses transgender women, then humiliates them (WV)

[theHandpuppet]

I need to preface this post with some comments of my own. First, you might notice the link I provided takes you only to the first paragraph of the article. That's because the local Martinsburg newspaper requires a subscription in order to read the online edition. As it was, I had to type this excerpt of the article from a hard copy of the newspaper. If someone could find another source, could you post a link?

Second, I was only allowed to post four paragraphs here but the story gets even worse. The commissioner of the WV DMV stated that the women would need a court order verifying that their gender change is complete -- i.e., that they have had the total surgery!
This is outrageous and shameful.

http://www.journal-news.net/page/content.detail/id/613358/DMV-allegedly-refuses-transgender-women.html?nav=5006
The Martinsburg Journal (WV)
DMV allegedly refuses transgender women
By Chelsea Demello

Martinsburg – Two transgender women who were allegedly humiliated and refused to be photographed while trying to update their driver’s licenses are requesting that the local DMV’s allow the women to be photographed as they appear every day, without harassment.

During separate incidents, Kristen Skinner, 45, of Ranson, and Trudy Kitzmiller, 52, from Mount Storm, both claim they were told by DMV workers that they could not be photographed for their licenses unless they removed all makeup, eyelashes, jewelry and wigs, although Skinner said she doesn’t wear a wig.

The incidents occurred earlier this year in January and May at both the Charles Town and Martinsburg DMV offices.

In addition to being told they could not be photographed as they appear, both Skinner and Kitzmiller also claimed they were called “it” and treated with hostility….

[Ilsa]

1. I hope they get justice. the lack of sensitivity is appalling. nt

[randys1]

2. Ahh, come on, lack of sensitivity? What is wrong with hating Transgender people solely for

being transgender?

Same thing applies that if you hate children in a bus crossing the boarder, simply because they arent white, nothing wrong with that either?

All comes from the same mindset, we just misunderstand these people, right?





Calling people "it", no big deal, I am sure those who did that are just good Christian Americans...yep!

[Ilsa]

3. I wish they could watch video of themselves.

I would hope that at least some of them would realize what they had done and be ashamed of themselves. I guess I'm still too optimistic where humans are concerned.

[randys1]

4. If you are referring to the fine folks in Murrieta

they not only would not be shamed by what they did, they are stunned that you and I are not joining them

and from what I have heard, the folks doing that may not have been from that area in the first place, or some of them werent

i wouldnt be surprised to find out a koch entity paid to ship them in

[enlightenment]

5. Here are a few other links, Handpuppet.

Thank you for bringing this to our attention.
It's just another method of denying rights - and since WV requires (as do many states) surgical reassignment, it is a cruel hurdle, particularly as many cannot afford surgery.

One wonders what they do when a ciswoman who prefers very short hair and no make-up appears for a photo. Do they make them "dress up" to conform to the DMV's requirement that they "look like" the gender on their license?

http://www.advocate.com/politics/transgender/2014/07/07/trans-women-harassed-called-it-west-virginia-dmv-employees

http://www.cnn.com/2014/07/07/living/transgender-dmv-complaint-west-virginia/

http://transgenderlegal.org/headline_show.php?id=476

[theHandpuppet]

6. Thanks very much for those links

I couldn't agree more about the surgical reassignment requirement -- it's unnecessary and particularly cruel. Even those who wish to have such surgery can't always afford it -- it can be very expensive! To humiliate these women is so horrible -- there's just no excuse!

[enlightenment]

7. I agree.

Completely unnecessary. Very sad.

[MillennialDem]

8. I ran into something similar in CA like 10 years ago when I changed my license - the clerk at the

local DMV refused to change it from M to F despite:

A. Having a note from a physician

B. Calling and speaking with someone in the state office in Sacramento

I ended up having to go to a different DMV. Thankfully he did not harass me.

[Joe Magarac]

9. Serious question -- I hope this is not out of line.

Why have "gender" on the driver's license at all?

Unnecessary for ID ever since driver's licenses had your picture on it (that's a long time).