A newborn baby girl will have to go through life with the wrong sex on her birth certificate after a registrar’s error, which her parents have been told they cannot change.
Grace Bingham and her partner, Ewan Murray, were excited to register their first child at the Sutton-in-Ashfield Registration Office in Nottinghamshire last week. But, after nights of broken sleep, they failed to notice the registrar had written the wrong sex on the birth certificate until after it had been submitted.
“We were horrified but assumed that, as we saw the mistake just a few seconds after it had happened, correcting it would be an easy matter,” said Murray. “But although the registrar apologised for her mistake – and the area manager also apologised – it turns out that birth certificates can’t be changed.”
this article is interesting because it demonstrates that cis people can very easily apply structural thinking to sex assignment - this couple immediately identifies that their daughter, having mistakenly been assigned male at birth by the registrar, will have administrative problems in employment, education, travel, and so on. they pretty adeptly identify the foundational role that sex assignment plays in the administrative and civil functions of a state, and how incorrect sex markers effectively produce a ‘rational’ reason for discrimination within these administrative and civil arenas:
The General Register Office (GRO), which is responsible for administering all civil registration in England and Wales, and the Home Office have both confirmed that Lilah’s birth certificate cannot be reissued, although an amendment can be made in the margin of the original document.
But Bingham said this is not enough. “People reading a birth certificate might easily miss a tiny note in the margin – which means that Lilah could be regarded as male when she applies for school, her passport, for jobs – for everything that she needs a full birth certificate for.”
And given that this was published in The Guardian, this article makes zero mention as to why it’s impossible for this couple to receive an updated birth certificate with correct information (something the author notes was possible to do a year ago), but the reason is obviously transphobia.
Now one might ask why there’s no exception for cis people whose birth certificates were recorded incorrectly at birth, but this reveals the instability of cissexualism. How would you determine who is a cis person with a mistaken birth certificate, versus a trans person who wants to change their mistaken sex assignment record? Sure, you could say well, this is an infant, of course she’s “really” “biologically” female (something the parents argue in the article as grounds for having their child’s birth certificate re-issued), but 1) that certainly can’t be argued for in all cases, 2) ‘biological sex’ is understood by medical doctors as alterable through hormones and surgery, which trans people are often required to undergo in order to change their records, and 3) binary sex assignment is already imprecise and discretionary, particularly if infants have sex characteristics that don’t conform to binary F/M assignment standards (which is part of how the category of intersex emerges, framing this failure to conform to state census categories as a biological defect - and in fact, many intersex people do not discover they are intersex until the onset of puberty or later, at which point they are even less in luck if they want to change their sex assignment - and if they don’t, if they are cis but have sex characteristics that do not conform to cis standards, they will be discriminated against anyway).
Even setting aside the issue of transgender and intersex people for a moment, states fuck up all the time in administration! you’ve probably either experienced this directly or know someone who’s had some kind of record fucked up by the government at some point in their life. If you get married they could fuck up changing your last name, fuck up your disability status, record your social insurance number wrong, print the wrong address on your driver’s license, fail to acknowledge you as a dependent when filing taxes, incorrectly mark you as having graduated when you’re still a student, fuck up your immigration paperwork, record your name wrong during immigration, etc etc into infinity, and this is not even getting into errors that occur when different levels of government pass information between one another. This level of administrative rigidity is purely to punish people who fail to perform cissexualism correctly, and in the case of this couple’s child, the administrative error of the state is imputed to them as a personal failure that she and her parents will now have to deal with for the rest of their lives.
I think the ultimate analysis is not that transphobia will become less precise and hit more “wrong” targets as it expands its reach, but that this is the exact same operational logic as all other liberal state measures - if you encounter a systemic issue, it’s your fault for not avoiding it, fuck you, go away. You’re poor because you’re lazy, you’re unhoused because you’re lazy, you’re disabled because you’re lazy, and your daughter is now administratively transsexual because you’re lazy. In this case, we don’t even need to assume the intentions of the state - they outright say it:
The family complained to the GRO but was told the mistake was their responsibility and could not be fully rectified. “The duty to ensure that information recorded in any particular entry is true is the responsibility of the person providing the information and not of the registrar general or the registrar recording the birth,” the GRO said.
Mother Earth isn’t just a metaphor. The entire Earth ecosystem is in fact a sapient whole. The only reason we don’t see aliens is because Mother Earth is super xenophobic and kills any non-terran life that appears. Aliens learned this the hard way and are not sure how to handle humans.
If I have to see one more “we survived him before we can do it again” post I’m going to scream.
So many people didn’t. So many more people are going to die. Women are going to bleed out in parking lots because doctors are scared to give them the abortion they need. Migrates are going to die in detention centers. Kids are going to have their parents ripped away in mass deportations. Potentially millions of people are going to lose their healthcare.
Yes, we keep fighting, but don’t say we survived before. A lot of people didn’t.
For those wondering what’s happening in Amsterdam right now and hearing media bullshit about ‘pogroms’, let me break it down for ya:
Sunday, November 3rd: During the weekend, Israeli fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv arrive in Amsterdam in advance of the soccer match against Ajax to take place on Thurday. On the first night, a man wearing a kufiya is attacked and beaten up so bad that he is hospitalized. The incident is ignored by the media and the police.
Wednesday, November 6th: Maccabi fans remove Palestinian flags from buildings, burn the flags and intimidate the inhabitants. A taxi driver is attacked with metal chains. The police watch and do nothing. Fellow taxi drivers have to come to the victim’s rescue. The incidents are ignored by the media.
Thursday afternoon, November 7th: Maccabi fans hold a pro-IDF rally, carrying IDF emblems and shouting 'destroy the arabs’ and 'we will fuck the arabs’. Fans also return to further intimidate the inhabitants of buildings that they had targeted on Wednesday. The incident are ignored by the media and the police.
Thursday evening, November 7th: Maccabi fans are shouting the same slogans and intimidating people of color while moving through the Amsterdam metro, while other fans simultaneously disrupt a vigil for the victims of the floods in Spain. The incidents are ignored by the media and the police.
Thursday night, November 7th: Amsterdam youths successfully fight back against the Israeli’s that have been terrorizing their city. Maccabi fans that had gathered for another night of violence are driven off in all directions. Some find shelter with the police.
Friday morning, November 8th: Ignoring everything that has happened before, the city council and the media go wild, declaring that a 'pogrom’ has taken place against 'Jews’ and that 'violent antisemitism’ is making Amsterdam unsafe. Maccabi fans that were shouting 'death to arabs’ a few hours ealier are giving teary-eyed interviews claiming they were afraid for their lives and were targetted for being Jewish. The city council bans all forms of protest for 3 days.
Saturday morning, November 9th: a group of Amsterdam antizionist Jews is forced to cancel their Kristallnacht/Novemberprogromme 1938 commemoration because of threats of violence from Maccabi fans. This is ignored by the media and the police.
a little fun fact: this is based on a visceral nightmare I had last night where Narinder was extremely realistic and was trying to kill me repeatedly. I finally dream of my pookie chasing me and all I got was a vivid horror experience.
a little fun fact: this is based on a visceral nightmare I had last night where Narinder was extremely realistic and was trying to kill me repeatedly. I finally dream of my pookie chasing me and all I got was a vivid horror experience.
being inside a slime or some kind of ooze is actually really enriching for adventurers and lets them explore new avenues of self expression so if you want to make an adventurer really happy you can throw them into one of us
being inside a slime or some kind of ooze is actually really enriching for adventurers and lets them explore new avenues of self expression so if you want to make an adventurer really happy you can throw them into one of us
If you’ve committed a crime and a detective gathers everyone involved in the room, especially if he’s not actually a detective and is instead a novelist, puzzle-setter, psychic, fake psychic, dog, chess grandmaster, etc. …
YOU SHOULD NOT CONFESS.
Every year, hundreds of people are put away by non-traditional “detectives” who have either inserted themselves into the case or are working with the police in a dubiously legal capacity as advisor. In 99% of these cases, the murderer gives a full confession even though the evidence against them is circumstantial at best and often requires a long just-so story which can only guess at motive.
If this happens to you, stay quiet, do not attempt to defend yourself or talk your way out of it, only say “I want a lawyer”.
Now if you find yourself being investigated by a boy genius, magician’s assistant, anthropologist, classics scholar, or philosopher, it’s likely that refusing to talk to the police (or investigator with no legal authority) is merely the end of the second act, and by the end of the third act they will have you dead to rights.
YOU SHOULD STILL NOT CONFESS.
Make them take it to court. Force the eccentric detective and his straight-laced police partner to take the stand and explain their methods to a jury of your peers. Have your lawyer look at the chain of custody on the evidence, especially if you believe it to have been handled by someone who has only bumbled into detective work through their natural charm and/or unique set of skills and outsider perspective that come in handy more often than they should.
Know your rights. Don’t let eccentric detectives put you away.
im excited to do some reporting based on the data coming out of this leak, i already have a few interesting angles i will be taking a look at this from
disclaimer: please read the article, i had no involvement in this hack (though i knew about it early as i helped some journalists in the background) i am posting this here to spread the news. this disclaimer is unfortunately necessary because people on here always assume ive done every hack i talk about.
could a kind soul pay my first months rent so i can stop living in my car
$625 left needed for the first months rent. please, it seems like everything is keeping me from escaping this. it’s unbearable. I’m tired of living like this. I can’t stay sane working two jobs while living in my car.
Have you ever seen a sign on a public bathroom door that said "biological women only" or something similar that was clearly meant to target trans people? If yes please put in the comments/tags where you saw it. Asking because I recently went to the USA for the first time & saw two in different states.
Have you ever seen a sign on a public bathroom door that said “biological women only” or something similar that was clearly meant to target trans people?
the new American Gothic. // artist unknown, feel free to tag and tell me who painted this.
This is by Mexican American artist Crieselda Vasquez. Her words on this painting is as follows.
“The two most important people in my life, my parents, are also the two who motivated me to develop such a strong concept. When my parents pose for these paintings, their faces are reduced to extremely raw and somehow vulnerable expressions. Sadly, they strive to be invisible every day. They don’t have to pretend to illustrate the invisible. They have dealt with constant rejection, suspicion and fear so long, that it seems now that it comes naturally to them. I strive to capture how their expressions deliver that sense of tiredness, resignation, and quiet acceptance. It seems relevant to show that underneath all the politicization and undeserved labeling this community receives, these are regular people just like all of us. In the long tradition of immigrants that come to the United States, they have made homes here and they are just trying to live a simple life with a bit of security and hopefulness for their children.“
i hate viruses so fucking much. literally getting attacked by a fucking shape. a concept. consumes no energy. responds to no stimuli. its only existence is to fuck with you. like fuck offf
okay it might be cuz it’s like nearly 4am and im going out of my mind a little but can i PLEASE nominate the tianjin optometric center for favorite logo design of the fuckin year
It:
is deeply visually distinctive
can easily be adjusted for vertical, horizontal, rectangular, square shape as needed
recognizable in any colour
frieze patterns BEAUTIFULLY in a way that’s reminiscent of traditional pottery or woodcarving
and here’s the kicker:
it’s the symbol that this hospital uses on all of their visual test charts
at this center, you don’t read what each letter is on the seeing chart, you indicate what direction the E is facing
Time to start celebrating ALL the small wins, because EVERY win means a lot, and every win helps us fight for the next one!
I think it’s important to note that this bill only failed because it needed 2/3rds majority - if it had needed only a simple majority, it would have passed.
I urge you to look up your MoC and see how they voted, then reach out to their office to either praise them or express your disgust with their vote. Part of the reason that MoCs start catering to more conservative voices is because those voices actually give them feedback. The left needs to start doing that too.
Where do you look to see the way members of congress voted on specific bills?
You can search the bill number and then search for your rep or other reps you’re interested in seeing. The bill in the article above is HR 9495.
Thank you very much. I always try to find stuff like this but lately my brain has been too fried
HI SO. This bill is going back on the docket on MONDAY 11/18 and this time will only need a simple majority to pass. That’s 220 votes. It got 245 this week. If there is any time to reach out to your MoC’s office, it’s now. I emailed my rep yesterday and plan on calling her office as well.
I work for a nonprofit and while this bill likely won’t affect my job, being that it’s a small hyper-regional organization, it WILL affect organizations like the ACLU and the SPLC. It could defund Planned Parenthood. That’s a Big Fucking Deal and not a power that we want to let Trump have.
Yes, this is an important update!
These are the Democratic Representatives who voted for the bill originally. If your Rep is on this list, PLEASE CALL THEIR OFFICE THIS WEEKEND.
Capital Switchboard: 202-224-3121
Update:
the House voted in committee today with several of the Democrats loudly opposing it (good thing). A full House vote is expected later this week, either Wednesday or Thursday (probably Thursday)
So it’s important to keep up the pressure and keep on making your voices heard!
If your Rep is one of the Dems that voted “Yes” on this, tell them this is their chance to stop this bill and not give Trump more powers. Tell them you’ll vote for them in the next election if they vote “no” on this bill.
If your Rep is Republican, tell them that this bill would also affect the Salvation Army as it is nonprofit.
If your Rep previously voted “No” on this bill,encourage them to keep their stand and stick to their “No”,and thank them for this.
CALL TOOLS :
If you’re nervous about calling use Resistbot to write them instead! Text RESIST to 50409 to get started.
“I am calling to urge my representative to vote no on H.R. 9495 . This is a dangerous bill would give the Trump administration unilateral power to label any non-profit as terrorist supporting and shut it down without due process. I am calling on my representative to defend civil rights organizations and oppose this bill. Thank you.”
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