Trans Umbrella Project

It’s a scary time to be transgender or gender non-conforming. 

Thunderclouds are gathering, and legal protections against discrimination and violence are wavering, fallen, or ineffectual. Where the state can’t or won’t protect our Transgender/Gender Nonconforming/Nonbinary (TGNCNB) community members, the Chosen Family Law Center is proud to step in with the Trans Umbrella Project.

A lack of identity documents that match one’s gender presentation and lived experience can be a barrier to employment, education, travel, and public benefits and services, and family relationships that aren’t recognized by the state can be ignored by institutions like hospitals, banks, and creditors. These are some of the practical obstacles that make daily life that much more difficult to navigate for TGNCNB people, and we are here with name and gender marker change support and advance planning and relationship protection documents to support you and your family, in whatever form it takes.

We are proud to offer assistance to low income residents of New York who qualify (see below) with all that paperwork that you’ve been meaning to get around to, including:

T/GNC Name and Gender Marker Changes:

The process for a legal name and/or gender marker change can be a challenging and difficult experience depending on where you were born and your situation and circumstances, and we are here to support you. Juggling all the different requirements for the different documents is a headache, but you don’t have to do it alone.

• Name change petitions in New York courts for TGNCNB youth and adults (NY only). We’ll walk you through the petition and make sure you know exactly what to expect, then accompany you to your hearing if you need one.
• Gender marker changes on birth certificate when legally allowed  (NY only)
• Name and gender marker changes on state and federal identity documents (NY only)

READ SOME OF OUR RECENT CASE STUDIES ON T/GNC NAME CHANGES.

The Chosen Family Law Center acknowledges and is extremely grateful for funding for the T/GNC Name Change Project from the N.J. Rieur LGBT Fund.

Healthcare Proxy and HIPAA (NY only)

The Healthcare Proxy form designates a person to act as your proxy during medical events.

A HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) authorization form is a document that allows an appointed person or party to share specific health information with another person or group.

Giving your loved ones the power to access your medical records and make medical decisions for you if you can’t make them yourself is a right that comes standard with having a state-recognized relationship. The rest of us can do it independently on purpose. These documents will protect you from having these important decisions made for you by someone you don’t know or trust.

Medical Advance Directive and Living Will (NY only)

A Medical Advance Directive outlines your wishes, needs, and preferences for medical treatment  (such as gender preferences in hospital) that your healthcare proxy can help enforce.

A Living Will determines what will happen to your body if you are dying (end of life medical care), such as life support. 

These documents are ways of communicating your healthcare decisions, needs, and preferences to your healthcare providers in case something happens to you. They’ll protect you from misgendering, medical manipulation, and  many manifestations of transphobia in a medical setting. 

Mental Health Crisis Directive (NY only)

A Mental Health Crisis Directive is a kind of Medical Advance Directive specifically for your mental health.

These documents give information to your care team about your mental health diagnoses, needs, and preferences to enable them to give you the most culturally competent and effective mental healthcare possible. They’ll protect you from healthcare professionals accidentally exacerbating mental health conditions when you’re having trouble communicating.

Hospital Visitation Authorization (NY only)

In New York, a person under inpatient medical care has the right to visitation with any person they identify to the hospital as their family. These documents will help you exercise this right and ensure that your loved ones can be present with you no matter what.

Powers of Attorney (NY only)

A Power of Attorney designates someone to access and make decisions about your finances in the event that you are unable.

These documents will allow you to ensure that your chosen family can take care of your affairs if you are injured or ill.