Rivaclaw🏳️‍⚧️ΘΔ @renbymon@computerfairi.es

The reason I bring this up is I’ve just had to do this again. Changed my name on an online portal, support team emails me asking for the official deed poll and I email them back with the same document and clarify the govs own directions and I’ve now received an email saying that it’s been accepted and my name has been updated.

Know your rights!

I’m not joking, you can write a deed poll on a napkin and as long as it has the correct wording and is signed and witnessed by two people who know you it is a legal document.

An enrolled deed poll is the exact same except you’ve asked for it to be published in the London Gazette, and only a few specific places require that (and they’ll ask for it).

I’ve changed the name on my passport with my free unenrolled deed poll, no issues.

The main issue I’ve experienced with changing my name has been people who have rejected my deed poll based on an assumption that it needs to be notarised or come from an official government body like “the deed poll office” (no such government department, it’s a private company). We end up in a back and forth dance with me having to show them the actual government guidance for deed polls and how they all work.

They’re free unless you need an enrolled one.

I’ve been a bit introspective over the last few days as to why I want to do this project. Part of it is that it’s fun and interesting, but the other part is that I’m now getting sick of current broadcast TV as well as algorithmic streaming. Places like YouTube are starting to feel more like TV in how they are pushing stuff that I have zero interest in.

This whole project will let me choose what shows I want to watch and then give them to me like broadcast TV of old.

Ultimately things are okay! They could be better but I’ll be okay.

What I have experienced boils down to this: the way the country works from a procedural and rights perspective is supportive (aside from changing gender marker on gov docs). From a political and media perspective it’s horrible.

Good: Changing my name on official gov docs has been painless and they understand that trans people exist and have rights.
Bad: Some laws are old and dumb and politicians are getting in the way of changing those.
Good: The things that are closely important to me re being trans have been great.
Bad: The media and politicians are shit.

The way Rishi Sunak made a transphobic comment in PMQs and didn’t even apologise after the fact for it is just incredible. It put me in a retrospective mood today thinking about how the start to my trans journey has been.

Good: GP is really supportive of me transitioning.
Bad: GP surgery hasn’t changed my name despite having been told months ago.
Good: My employer and coworkers have been supportive.
Bad: Council were not helpful re name change.