Mastodawn

mcc Nov 6, 2024

Note to USA folks, ❗trans folks especially❗.

A passport is:
- Fundamentally useful
- A federal ID
- Recognized in most state/local level contexts
- *You can change your gender marker on it through pure self ID, with nothing medical required*. "X" is an option. https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/need-passport/selecting-your-gender-marker.html
- Normally 4-6 weeks to process (faster if u pay extra); that means if you apply for one this week, you easily get it before Jan 20.
- Lasts 10 years

Perhaps apply for one (or renew it, to reset yr 10 years) soon.

Selecting your Gender Marker

Information about how to select a new gender marker on your U.S. passport.

One other thing. There are two forms of passport, a "passport" and "passport card". The passport is normally what you want. But the "card" is interesting because (1) it's cheaper; you can get it for as little as $30 (2) it looks like an ID and fits in a wallet. The downside is the "card" only works in North America and parts of the Caribbean (and is unusable with air travel). If you're willing to pay more, you can get both (but if so, be sure not to lose either— you'll need both at renewal time)

mcc Nov 6, 2024

The reason I say all this is that after Jan 20, there is no guarantee whether any of the old procedures will change, or how fast. What I know is that Trump ran on a campaign of unmitigated hatred of trans people and last time he was President, there were reports of fucking with passport gender changes:

https://www.axios.com/2018/07/28/trans-women-passport-issue-state-department-trump

I never heard how this incident turned out.

Possibly nothing will change. But if you get an passport for unnecessary reasons, hey, at least now you have a passport.

Report: State Department retroactively revoking passports from transgender women

Officials are requiring documentation of surgery.

Axios

mcc Nov 6, 2024

Realizing I should also mention.

You *can* also change your gender on file with Social Security—again currently this is via self ID, no med documentation: https://www.ssa.gov/personal-record/change-sex-identification

There aren't specific advantages to this. But I recommend *whatever document you use to verify citizenship when applying for a job, have that gender marker match your SSA gender*. You *can* use a passport to verify right-to-work; so if you plan to do this, change your SSA gender too (it's easier/faster than passport).

Change sex identification

Update the sex identification on your Social Security record.

Social Security

Itamar Turner-Trauring Nov 6, 2024

@mcc Also worth noting that the voter ID bill that Trump was pushing would require many voters to get a passport in order to vote.

https://missouriindependent.com/2024/07/10/u-s-house-passes-bill-requiring-proof-of-citizenship-to-vote-in-federal-races/

U.S. House passes bill requiring proof of citizenship to vote in federal races • Missouri Independent

WASHINGTON – The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill Wednesday that would require individuals registering to vote to provide proof of citizenship to participate in federal elections. The legislation, passed 221-198, would also require states to check their voter rolls for registered noncitizens. The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, or SAVE, is intended to prevent […]

Missouri Independent

Jen, MPH has moved see bio Nov 6, 2024

@mcc if getting a passport is now important to you, I would get both a passport and a passport card! A passport card is easier to carry on your person, like a drivers license. Especially for those who are POC, this may become relevant.

Andreas K Nov 6, 2024

@tweetsjen @mcc
It is also an implicit proof of citizenship.

A driving licence is not, as it's issued to any resident who takes the test.

Matthew Miller Nov 6, 2024

@yacc143 @tweetsjen @mcc

A passport is an _explicit_ proof of citizenship. (In the US at least, even an expired one.)

Andreas K Nov 6, 2024

@mattdm @tweetsjen @mcc

Not necessary. I get a passport, claim I lost it, then I lose the citizenship, in whatever way, then I still have that passport in my hands that fraudulently proves a citizenship that does not exist.

But implicitly, if you wave around a passport, you should have a legal assumption that you are a citizen till proven otherwise. Like some documents showing your denaturalization after it was issued.

Jen, MPH has moved see bio Nov 6, 2024

@yacc143 losing citizenship is not exactly common or something that authorities would consider by default at present time. Currently, a passport or passport card functions as explicit proof of citizenship in the US. Drivers licenses do not, which is why I recommend getting a passport card. I didn’t realize that part possibly needed clarification.

Andreas K Nov 6, 2024

@tweetsjen @mattdm @mcc
Ah, you missed the ramblings of the new Strongman of the USA, and considering that he'll be having the support of the full Congress and SCOTUS, his fever dreams of "Citizen is who I say that citizen is" (no that's not an Adolf quote, that's a paraphrase of Lueger's quote about Jews, a generation or so earlier of antisemite here around.)

Jen, MPH has moved see bio Nov 6, 2024

@yacc143 I probably missed some of them, but it’s also why I said currently. Part of Trump’s immigration policy seems to be to make the US such a shithole country that it will be undesirable to immigrants.

Matthew Miller Nov 6, 2024

@yacc143 @tweetsjen @mcc

Explicit doesn't mean infallible. A US passport is explicit documentation of US citizenship.

mcc Nov 6, 2024

@yacc143 @mattdm @tweetsjen I'm not sure I understand what is being proposed in this last post but I think I recommend against it. Note there is a method for renouncing US citizenship, but it I hear it is somewhat expensive.

Andreas K Nov 6, 2024

@mcc @mattdm @tweetsjen No my point was, it's quite possible, at least in theory to have a passport for a citizenship that one does not have anymore. Because authorities cannot collect a passport from you if you claim to have lost it.

That why having a passport from country X is not a 100% proof.

(Plus in the past at least, some countries issued passports, marked as such, to foreigner, literally called “foreigners passports” as ID documents.)

Matthew Miller Nov 6, 2024

@yacc143 @mcc @tweetsjen

I don't really want to argue about the meaning of words today.

Badtux the Snarky Penguin Nov 6, 2024

@yacc143 @tweetsjen @mcc A RealId driver's license is issued only to people who are either a) citizens, or b) authorized to be in America (green card or etc.). But yes, a passport card is explicit: you are a citizen.

Andreas K Nov 6, 2024

@badtux @tweetsjen @mcc Ah, but the non-citizen statuses are way easier to lose, if memory serves, even a green card is automatically gone if you stay 12 months outside the USA.

@tweetsjen @mcc get both because you'll not be able to cross every border with just one.

Ideally get more than one!

Jen, MPH has moved see bio Nov 7, 2024

@kkarhan right, I’m saying to get both the book and the card. However, if you need to only pick one then get the passport book - the book is accepted for crossing any international border.

The passport card is limited with regards to the borders it is accepted at. But, it is still useful to have as an extra form of ID that proves citizenship and is easier to carry because it fits in your wallet (drivers license sized).

@tweetsjen @mcc OFC the full passport is better.

If one can afford it I'd recommend to get at least two of each to have one as backup (cite: "conflicting visas" as reason to get more than one)...

Jen, MPH has moved see bio Nov 7, 2024

@kkarhan just wanted to clarify for anyone reading along that you only need the book if you have to pick one. The State Dept website can be confusing!

I’m unsure if you are saying to get more than one of each version? In case anyone reads it as such, it would not be advisable to do that.