My suggestion of a formal letter.



Dear Sir Madam

(Change of Name) Regulations 1994, Statutory Instrument 1994 No. 604.

I find your intolerance and attitude discriminatory and contrary to the relevant acts of parliament, the requirement for your co-operation in making the changes requested.

Unless your immediate attention is given to this matter you will leave me no option but to make service upon you by instructing solicitors to act on my behalf, with any ensuing costs and a claim for distress.

''The Adult Deed Poll will enable those persons aged 16 or over to change their legal name by Deed Poll.

**people who have had or who are having gender reassignment may choose to change their gender title from Ms to Mr or vice versa. [in accordance with the UK gender Recognition Act 2004/05 as revised 2008}**''

I must also remind you of the confidentiality clause in the said act, (Data Protection Act. Section 22 of the Gender Recognition Act was created with an "expectation of privacy" in mind.)



Previous Names

It is rare for an article about a transgender person not to reveal their previous name. This conveys the false impression that transgender people are happy to have their previous names made public. A transgender person takes a new name to reflect their public change of gender. They discard the old name in the process and the deed poll on change of name is quite emphatic about this. Under no circumstance is the old name retained.

Why should you avoid revealing a transgender person's former name?

You may place the transgender person at risk or harrassment.
You may place yourself at risk of prosecution.
It may be very difficult for you to undo your actions.
Gender Recognition Act. 2004 legislation which gives a transsexual person full legal rights as a member of the gender in which they are living post transition, including the right to have their birth certificate revised, and to marry. The GRA established the Gender Recognition Panel which issues Gender Recognition Certificates (GRCs). Acquisition of a GRC allows the holder to apply for a new birth certificate. It is an offence in law for an individual working for a public body to reveal that an individual has a GRC, or to reveal their personal gender history. It is also unlawful for an employer to demand to see it as ‘proof’ of gender (just as it is not required of non trans people to ‘prove’ their gender).



Yours etc.



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Many thanks Crissie! I cant thank you enough. I think for the sake of all of us in Southwark I should aim as high as possible. Its patently obvious that Southwark council have no awareness of trans issues whatsoever. Maybe they should get with the programme!



In the months that this has dragged on I haven't spoken to one person at the council who has any idea what the law says about this.

Its bizarre, their man was actually standing in my living room doing a tennancy check to see if I was sub-letting or involved in some kind of fraud. Clearly I wasn't. The reason given for not accepting my deed poll? Because I might be sub-letting or involved in some kind of fraud!



It gets worse. I asked him what happens when a non trans person changes their name by marriage or even like me by deed poll. No problem at all he says, its the change of title that causes the problem. I said the title has been changed from Mr to Ms by the deed poll too. It's legally binding. Would it be a problem for someone changing from Miss to Mrs? No it wouldn't says he. So why me? Explain it to me. Show me the southwark policy that says this is a problem. Better still tell me what I can do about it.

I wont trouble you with any of the drivel he started spouting, lets just say he dug a pretty impressive hole for himself and flung himself right on in there headfirst.



There is no policy of course. Or if there is not a soul at Southwark knows about it.

Clearly that has to change.



Thanks again Crissie!


Well done Crissie. There is no excuse for this kind of behaviour from any public bodies. If anyone else is having trouble like this then please let us know.



Hugs, Katie x