Thread by @ProudOwlCrafts

This week I went to the DMV to finally transfer my state driver’s license, and it was the best experience I’ve yet to have. The thing is though, my “proof of ID” docs were in my deadname. 1/7

2/7 Lots of people who know West Virginia to be conservative, my trans self included, would be nervous to go to the DMV for this. I have the privilege of “passing” and most people wouldn’t know I’m trans unless I told them. I had to tell these complete strangers who I used to be.

3/7 It was scary. I had all my documents prepared, though, including CA my court order for name and gender change. When I got called to the counter and handed over my court order to supplement my proof of ID, I started to sweat. “This might not be enough” the clerk said.

4/7 I was prepared for that. “My social security and former driver’s license already changed based on the order.” there was a small pause and I finally added “it took me six months to get that court order. I had to fight with them for six months. They kept ‘losing’ my case.”

5/7 The clerk looked up and smiled, “well you have what you need to get a license here. Six months is a long time.” I smiled behind my mask in relief. She scanned all my documents, gave them back to me and charged me $40 for it all. I was in and out of there in 20 minutes.

6/7 So why share this story? 1. Trans people shouldn’t have to worry about going to the damn DMV and being discriminated against. It’s a privilege to only worry about the lines. 2. There’s a slew of bigotry in WV, but more often than not, I’ve come across kindness. More than CA

7/7 my last reason for sharing is to show that #trans people can in fact be treated as people by complete strangers. We just want IDs, we just want to wait in the same boring lines like everyone else with the only worry being we lost our lunch breaks to the DMV, not our rights.