Saturday, June 12, 2010
12th June 2010
The document is printed on green paper with an EIIR watermark and is headed
GENDER RECOGNITION CERTIFICATE.
Name: Jo Clifford.
Gender: Female
Date of Issue: 11 June 2010.
And underneath it says:
"The above mentioned person is, from the date of issue, of the gender shown".
It came this morning in the middle of my bath.
I cried and cried, and dripped all over the bedroom floor.
It's such a vindication of that secret self I had to hide all those years.
An honouring of that self who was so ashamed.
An empowering of that self who was so afraid.
It's all strangely low key because also one of the most important things that has ever happened to me.
I am so amazingly fortunate to live in a place and a time where such things are possible:
and all the more determined to do what I can to make what this certificate signifies available to everyone who has the right to it.
The document is printed on green paper with an EIIR watermark and is headed
GENDER RECOGNITION CERTIFICATE.
Name: Jo Clifford.
Gender: Female
Date of Issue: 11 June 2010.
And underneath it says:
"The above mentioned person is, from the date of issue, of the gender shown".
It came this morning in the middle of my bath.
I cried and cried, and dripped all over the bedroom floor.
It's such a vindication of that secret self I had to hide all those years.
An honouring of that self who was so ashamed.
An empowering of that self who was so afraid.
It's all strangely low key because also one of the most important things that has ever happened to me.
I am so amazingly fortunate to live in a place and a time where such things are possible:
and all the more determined to do what I can to make what this certificate signifies available to everyone who has the right to it.
Labels: gender recognition
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