6000 people to hear about intersex

[RGMCjim]

In the GLBT Community the choral movement is huge. I sing in the Rochester Gay Men's Chorus and the last Gala Chorus Festival I attended took over San Jose with over 6000 singers from 5 different countries. Since the regime of "Homeland Security" has taken over the US it is often difficult or impossible to get back into the USA from Canada without a passport and/or birth certificate. I live in NY which has impossibly stringent guidelines (there are no laws) for changing sex on birth certificates. Intersexed, transgendered and transsexual chorines, and in some cases entire choruses can not attend the festival in Montreal in 2 weeks. In addition to me, the Minister who officiated at Tim & my Holy Union isn't going because his partner is a FtM transsexual and has been denied a passport too.
A fellow chorine and UCC Minister suggested to the chorus that my partner introduce our chorus and talk about why I'm not there singing. My brothers unanimously and vigorously aggreed. What follows is what my partner will say to introduce RGMC.

RGMC Introduction for Montreal

Good evening. My name is Tim Schramm. I’m the principal accompanist for the Rochester Gay Men’s Chorus of Rochester, NY. This is RGMC’s sixth GALA festival appearance, our first being in Minneapolis in 1986. We are all delighted and proud to be here. We are proud that we have just completed our twenty-first season. We are proud of our small group ensemble called the Rochettes, who just completed their seventeenth season. We are elated that the Rochettes will be giving their very first independent GALA performance later this week, and with great enthusiasm, I might add. We are exceptionally proud to be premiering compositions by two of our own members.

But as proud as we are of these things we are just as saddened by the fact that some of our members are not able to be in this very room tonight. My partner, Jim Costich, is one of them. Jim is intersexed. He was born with some characteristics of both sexes. Although his birth certificate lists him as female, he has lived his entire life as a man. Our legal battle has not been productive and our courts have yet to amend his birth certificate. Thus, the State Department refused to issue Jim a passport to cross into Canada.

I’m sure there are many, many stories like ours represented here tonight. RGMC commits itself to breaking down the strongholds of fear, ignorance, and prejudice by singing our songs of hope, of strength, and of solidarity not only with each and every one sitting here this evening, but also with those at home.

[Dana Gold]

I would like to know if the above State Dept restrictions means that passports were not issued in the male gender or not at all?

But, even getting one in (original) birth certificate gender would present enormous problems for sure, not to mention "security issues"...and, of course, infringement upon passport holder's personal dignity.

[ptrinkl108]

Hi Jim,

I think that the statement that your partner, Tim, will be reading is very powerful. It is great that the event will acknowledge your struggle as an intersex person for the freedom to travel. I am sure that most people will immediately recognize and sympathize with your situation. It is sad that after so much effort on your part, which you have shared in other postings, that the State Department has refused to issue you a usable passport to cross into Canada and safely return. I believe that the State Department owes you an apology for its behavior.

Peter

[RGMCjim]

Dana,
The State Department would issue me a passport reading James D. Costich - female unless I could get my birth certificate changed to read male. They admitted that such a passport would appear fraudulent and if I used it I'd risk being detained and even imprisoned. Given the crack-down on suspicious passports I could be imprisioned indefinately with no formal charge by the US under the current Patriot Act.
I've tried to get my birth certificate changed at various times in my life. Most recently over a period of 2 years. The court has yet to accept my petition and keeps returning it to my lawyer asking for more information. They informed her that they don't even have a procedure for addressing my request as an individual thing and are reticent to do anything that would set a precident.
The Department of Vital records told me that even if I got a court order they would not issue me an ammended birth certificate unless I had satisfied the Harry Benjamin standards of care for transsexuals, in this case including a hysterectomy and oophrectomy despite the fact that I'm not transsexual, there is no medical or psychological need for surgery, and I don't want anything cut out of my body that isn't sick. The next tactic is to
offer more specific letters from my doctors, (they already have letters) that such surgery is counterindicated and draconian, and that these organs have been atrophic all my life so I'm no less or more of a "man" for having or not having them.
If I ever get a court order I'll challenge them to honor it, and ask for the court's help.

So much for Philadelphia Freedom.

Jim

[Dana Gold]

Dear Jim,

That question, coming from me, was rather naive. Of course, they would force female upon you, to the extent of necessitating surgery. I was thinking that maybe they would deny a passport altogether , but in a way, that's just what they did. And you know what? If youwere to actually do the (unwarranted,god-awful expensive, and invasive) surgery, there would be a good chance that you would still be denied male gender; unlesss you went to court and with much luck were to find a judge that would petition for and grant a gender change; which stupidly would be valid only in New York:rolleyes: :confused: So much (unguaranteed) trouble, expense, and stress/pain....it's so terrible and depressing, I feel sad for you because I have read your health is not as it should be, and because I totally understand the ordeal one must go through to just be who one is in reality. It's that "vast flowing sewer of hate and paranoia" you once referred to in a much earlier post and to the incessant "correct and control mechanism" that stands in the way of ALL of our freedoms. I commend Tim and your fellow RGMC members for the courageous and profound statement that will be made at the next RGMC presentation. I wonder if a mass petition to introduce a bill to grant gender change specifically for intersexed conditions in people such as yourself would be of value....but then again, it would be valid only in NY...f**kers:mad: Or bring this bullsh*t to the attention of the (liberal) mass media....a sympathetic newspaper that would print the dilemma you and others face.

Anyway, take care.


Dana:)

________________________________________
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