Opinion: For trans adults in Michigan, it's hard to get accurate ID

Across the country, politicians are banning gender-affirming care and drag shows, making it dangerous to live as a transgender person. Here in Michigan, though, we have a unique opportunity to lead by example this Pride Month as a steadfast ally and advocate.

As a transgender person myself, I spent a year mulling over whether to legally change my name to Mikah and my gender marker to an X. My overtly gendered name made me squeamish with dysphoria and neither male nor female fit me, but I hesitated because I knew how grueling the process would be. I’m far from alone in this, especially in Michigan where we have the highest percentage of transgender adults without any corrected ID in the entire country.

Legal name and gender marker changes are notorious for being inaccessible, costly and outdated.

In fact, when I decided to go through the process last year, it took three months, about $500, legal assistance and put my safety at risk. My birth certificate and passport still aren't updated, because the challenges of changing them can outweigh the benefit, which says a lot given that 32% of transgender people are harassed or assaulted when using an ID that doesn't match how others perceive their gender.

But despite the challenges, changing my legal name and gender marker was the best decision I’ve made. I finally feel truly me. I want every Michigander seeking this to have access to the life-changing process of legally changing their name and gender marker — which is why I’m working with the Michigan Legislature to do something about it.

As it stands, changing your legal name in Michigan includes outing yourself in a local newspaper, undergoing criminal background checks and fingerprinting, a heaping stack of money, and oftentimes legal help. That's a lot for anyone. It can feel insurmountable for many in the trans community, already a particularly marginalized group.

Even setting aside the outlandish costs, I most dreaded the step where I’d be forced to publicly publish my deadname, the name I was given at birth, and my new name in the newspaper to alert strangers of my desired name change and with that, outing myself as transgender. How can we accept an outdated law that forcibly outs a trans person and risks their safety?

I had never been so ashamed of my identity as when I published this deeply personal information in the newspaper. There are people out there that don't want me to exist as a trans person. I feared for my safety, knowing that publishing this information was like leaving the door open and allowing them the chance to harm me. This publication requirement is malicious, and must be removed. Our safety is legitimately on the line.

The headache doesn't stop there. I changed my name before turning 21, which excused me from criminal background checks and fingerprinting, but many trans people aren't so fortunate. While newlyweds breeze through the process of updating names to seal their marriage, transgender people are once again reminded that to many, they are simply criminals waiting to be prosecuted for their gender-defying identity.

Background checks and fingerprinting can be useful in some scenarios, but the discrepancies in where they’re used raise a red flag. Instead, they should be used only when necessary, rather than as a mechanism to target transgender people. It shouldn't be assumed that we’re criminals while others aren't subject to this treatment.

There are hideous requirements for gender marker changes, too, like needing surgery before updating your birth certificate and a doctor's note for state-issued IDs. Despite what these laws suggest, you definitely don't need surgery or a doctor to prove your trans identity. Thanks to Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Attorney General Dana Nessel, these aren't enforced because they gladly recognize that the government has no reason to make it so difficult. But the law remains, and enforcement depends on who holds office.

Since changing my name and gender markers, I’ve been educating state Legislators on how to address these issues in a package of bills. It would also include a state-issued microgrant to cover the many expenses and adds a section to the Michigan website explaining the process to alleviate the need for legal assistance. It's time we pass these life-changing and potentially life-saving laws.

It shouldn't be a privilege to live under a name and gender that suits you. Right now, though, that's how we treat it. Let's call on our legislators to continue protecting transgender Michiganders. Let's do things differently and make these processes accessible to everyone.

Mikah Rector-Brooks, they/them, is a student at the University of Michigan.