Transgender people should not have to jump through hoops to have their gender identity affirmed. 

This is the reality for Trans folks from the US who call Australia home, including an immediate family member of mine. None of the US consulates are accepting gender marker appointments and we are struggling to get a response from Consulate officials. 

The US Consulates across Australia must allow our trans friends to access gender-marker appointments. If this is not possible, the in-person requirement should be scrapped, allowing people to do this online. 

Having accurate passports and consistent IDs is critical to daily life - we need it to work, access government institutions and travel. Our trans friends deserve the right to accurate identification that many of us take for granted.

For trans folk, seeing the correct gender/s reflected on their ID documents can be life saving. Presenting inaccurate identification can sometimes become a trigger for various forms of abuse and discrimination.

As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community myself, I care deeply about this issue. Transgender people who may otherwise move through the world undetected by those who would discriminate against them, are often “outed” by an old gender marker - an old name, or an old photograph in their passport.  Apart from being intimidating and awkward, this can also take a toll on the mental health of individuals going through this process.

Many of us haven’t seen our families for years due to the border closures and the pandemic. It is unfair to create another barrier for Trans folks living here to visit their loved ones.

This is why I am calling on the US Consulates in Melbourne, Sydney and Perth to open up gender-marker appointments for trans folks or to scrap the in-person requirement. 

Please sign and share this petition in solidarity with the Trans community.

Regardless of where you were born, the right to live authentically is universal.