Sex Change and Membership

[sageofages]

Originally Posted by preciousjeni

Wow GC! I have had an ongoing conversation about transgender/transsexual membership within my own sorority. I keep hitting a wall when I try to figure out how one legally changes gender. Does anyone know if you can change your gender on legal documents? I know it's possible to change the gender listed on your SS# file if your birth certificate shows the other sex.

I think that's the biggest issue at this point for me. Personally, if a woman who identified as male and who wanted to be referred to as "he/him" had Theta Nu Xi in his heart and wanted to spend a lifetime supporting our mission and tenets, I would accept the interest. However, I can't imagine that sorority membership would appeal to a female-born male.

The more understandable situation would be a male-born female. And, here's where the situation gets sticky. If a person cannot LEGALLY change his or her gender, extending membership would threaten Title IX exemption. I've considered the option of going co-ed as this would be the most logical move to be as inclusive as possible, but that was not the vision of my founders so I do not support it.

Yes, you can legally change your gender. On your birth certificate, on your social security card, and on your driver's license. It is all part of the process of gender reassignment. Actually it all occurs PRIOR to the reassignment surgery. There are incremental steps in the process...which is carefully dictated by laws involving psychiatrists, physicians and the legal system. I have several M=>F transgendered friends. A good book to read is "She's Not There" by Jennifer Finney Boylan.