I Got My New Bank Card!

[Guest Sergei]

I just really want to share this, I have just been to the bank, and finally I have my new bank card in my new name and title.

For years I have never felt able to use my bank card. At the age of 18 when I first got a card I went into a shop and bought something, and because of the title 'miss' on my card, the girl serving me asked if the card belonged to me, and asked to see ID to prove it, because I looked male. I was so embarrased that for the last 4 years I have never used my card. Everytime I have wanted to buy something, I have gone to a cash machine, taken out the money, and then paid by cash in the shop. It may seem like a small thing, but to me it felt like I didn't have the right to act like other people and use a bank card because of the way I looked. It made me feel ashamed of who I was, which I now know was thee wrong way to feel. I feel like I have just taken back another little piece of the freedom that having GID takes away from you.

[Guest matthew41]

Congrats Sergei,

The rest of society takes ID for granted, for us it can be a roadblock to day to day living. I think its great that you got your new bank card, I bet its a great feeling.

Matt

[Guest Sergei]

Thanks Matt, it really does feel great. I used it for the first time today as well. I went to buy an overcoat in a really smart formal menswear shop. I've never had the confindence to go and buy my own clothes before, and used to ask friends to get them for me, or order things from catalogues so I didn't have to deal with the strange looks from the sales people. But today I went into the shop myself. It felt great when the sales person addressed me as sir, and I was then able to walk proudly to the counter and pay for my purchase with my new card.

[princecharmless]

Well done, another milestone

[Guest Rach]

I truly understand how you feel. My situation is simply reversed since I am MTF. The same things used to happen all the time to me. I would present a card with my old name on it, and the vast majority of the time I would get questioned in one way or another. Like the sales clerk would look at me and say something like , "Is he here? You can't use his card, he needs to sign for this!" A few times, I had no choice but to argue with them about it because I needed to make a purchase, and did not have any cash with me, so I had no choice but to use a card. I would try to tell them, um, that is me. Every one of those times, they continued to argue with me. I had trheats of them calling the manager on me, and also I have been flatly denied the use of the card, period. "He has to sign for this purchase, you cannot do that for him" type of thing.

Oh well, life has been so much easier ever since changing all of that stuff (credit cards, bank accounts, drivers license with an 'F' gender marker, and so on) into my new legal name (well, not really new at all - I legally changed it many years ago). I have never had a problem since, thankfully!

And congrats to you!!!

[Guest JoAnnDallas]

My bank will put your picture on the card as a form of ID. I can also get a card in my fem name. Then I can go up on their web site, submit a picture. Then I can go to the bank and request a new card not only with my fem name but my fem picture on it. So now I have a Credit card with my male name and male picture and a credit card with my fem name and fem picture on it. Same card number on both. Saves a lot of hassle.