A Oklahoma judge has refused to grant a name-change request by a resident transitioning from male to female, claiming the update would be “fraudulent” since she would still be male on a genetic level.
According to NewsOK, James Dean Ingram’s request to be identified as Angela Renee Ingram was denied late last month. “It’s so important because it’s who I am,” said Ingram after the ruling. “I can’t be who I am with a male name. Soon as I was out of the courtroom I collapsed and started to cry … never before have I wanted more to kill myself.”
Judge Bill Graves denied a similar request last year. In his brief, he said he turned down the application because the DNA of a person in transition doesn’t change:
“A so-called sex-change surgery can make one appear to be the opposite sex, but in fact they are nothing more than an imitation of the opposite sex.
Here, petitioner has not even had the surgery by which his sex purports to be changed. Thus, based on the foregoing and the DNA evidence, a sex change cannot make a man a woman or a woman a man all of which, the Court finds is sufficient in and of itself to deny petitioner’s request for a name change. To grant a name change in this case would be to assist that which is fraudulent,”
Then Graves got all biblical:
How about we take this to the next level?
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“It is notable that Genesis 1:27-28 states: ‘So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them… The DNA code shows God meant for them to stay male and female.”
What the what? DNA as proving the existence of God? How do they pick judges in Oklahoma—whoever catches the most possums with their teeth?
Regardless of Judge Graves’ opinion on who is male and who is female, people generally have the right to be called whatever they want for whatever reason: If Chad Javon Johnson can change his name to the linguistically incorrect “Chad Ochocinco” and violence-prone baller Ron Artest can go by “Metta World Peace,” this seems way out of line.
Not convinced? Here are some other interesting monikers that got the green light:
* “Captain Fantastic Faster Than Superman Spider-Man Batman Wolverine Hulk And The Flash Combined.” (formerly George Garrett)
* “Dr. Mclovin” (formerly Kurt Anthony Raybould)
* “Han Solo” (formerly Dominic James McCathy Kimberley)
* “Addidas Nike” (formerly Johnathan Thomas)
Dakotahgeo
Judge Bill Graves makes a very good argument for abortion… unfortunately he still lives.
DarthEVaderCheney
GeriHew
Is Judge Bill Graves a gay man who regularly posts on Queerty by any chance?
Eric Auerbach
@GeriHew: That took you long enough. Yes, GeriHew: Gay men are the worst enemies of trans people. You’re so oppressed by gay men. Woe is you. Boo hoo.
GeriHew
@Eric Auerbach: I’m not trans 🙂
Eric Auerbach
@GeriHew: So you just enjoy whining in general? Much better.
GeriHew
@Eric Auerbach: No. I have a very dry sense of humour.
funboync
what a douche bag!
Raquel Santiago
1.) Get the hell out of Oklahoma
2.) Move to a different state such as California and reapply, get doctors letter then sue the hell out of oklahoma and the judge for discrimination.
3.) Take this all to the highest level of appeals.
Raquel Santiago
@Eric Auerbach:
Hmm, kinda torn on this. Yes in some circles many in fact, Transgender people are not considered to be a part of the “gay” community even here in SF and its very frustrating because we as transgender whether we look the sex or not is irrelevant, still a part of this community and fight for equality, some forget that equality applies to everyone even in our community. This is something that needs to change. I dont think it necessarily applies to everyone or specifically to gay men, but this is a problem that has no immediate solution but can be easily rectified.
Raquel Santiago
@GeriHew:
Sexual identity and Gender identity two totally different things.
Ruhlmann
@GeriHew: lol
Aaron
In my small Midwestern town we are ALL “gays” or “queers” no matter what our gender, biology, or preference – no distinction is made by the uneducated or bigoted between Ls, Gs, Bs. Ts, or any other letters we like to add. They lump us all together to discriminate against us, yet for some reason we fight amongst ourselves and reduce our own strength. Transgendered aren’t really homosexual and are too “different”, they hurt our cause. Bisexuals sit the fence and “choose” to “pass”, they aren’t part of our movement. Lesbians don’t have the same priorities as gay men, they don’t care about what we care about. Blah blah blah.
To paraphrase an old poem:
First they came for the transgendered,
and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t transgendered.
Then they came for the bisexuals,
and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a bisexual.
Then they came for the lesbians,
and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a lesbian.
Then they came for me,
and there was no one left to speak for me.
Freddie27
Why do judges get to pass judgement on what you decide to call yourselves? You should be able to call yourself whatever you want and the government should accede to your request.
richardb2837
@Freddie27: thats there job, idiot
richardb2837
i personally dont believe being a m2f or f2m is a life worth living, its just nasty,
KARUADAM
Here we go again! the fucking Christian, and they won`t stop the shit!. Kill them all!!.
KARUADAM
@richardb2837: If you only once let me fuck you in he ass you will change your mind.
Raquel Santiago
@richardb2837:
Guess what, that is your right to feel that way, but not ok to say it. We as a community have lost to many already, should I start naming names, I think I will
Brandon Teena
Venus Xtravaganza
Chanelle Pickett
Rita Hester
Fred Martinez Jr.
Gwen Araujo
And this list continues to grow every day because of stupidity. And even one death is too many.
Was I happy being a gay man, YES, am i happier identifying as female YES, its my life not yours and the same applies to any other person who wants to live their life as they sit fit. You need to go back to school, get educated cause right now your comments are just plain ignorant. And I know in prior posts i said i let crap like this roll of the shoulder and for me i do, but not for those who have died due to this stupidity and those that may still. Anyone comes for me and i got a 12 inch gold stiletto hell for em. Few have dared and none have succeeded.
richardb2837
@KARUADAM: hoe im gay as well ,i just dont believe in that surgery and horomones
richardb2837
@KARUADAM: you are such a bottom for saying that, lmao
richardb2837
@Raquel Santiago: whatever its not my problem, im just gay so what ever
jwrappaport
@Raquel Santiago: Regarding your admonishment that richardb2837 should not be able to speak his mind, I quote Robert Bolt/Sir Thomas More: “Not so!” It is not only richardb2837’s right to feel how he wants to about transgender equality, it is his right to speak and even print those views, regardless of how hurtful or uninformed they are (and how they are). It is our corollary right to listen and also eviscerate him with our words when he says idiotic things.
So yes, it is not only okay for him to speak his views, but also essential: the free interchange of ideas, even offensive ones, is the very motor of dialectic and the only true generator of culture. Every single one of us should feel obliged to defend that free and unfettered right, ESPECIALLY when it’s used to express an unpopular opinion – that is the very essence of free speech, without which trans equality and gay rights cannot exist.
GeriHew
@Raquel Santiago: Yes indeed they are.
GeriHew
@richardb2837: It’s a Judge’s job to be impartial.
ScaryRussianHeather
@Aaron:
“In my small Midwestern town we are ALL “gays” or “queers” no matter what our gender, biology, or preference – no distinction is made by the uneducated or bigoted between Ls, Gs, Bs. Ts, or any other letters we like to add. They lump us all together to discriminate against us, yet for some reason we fight amongst ourselves and reduce our own strength.”
Wait tho. That’s a lil excessive. Hetero people haven’t spent a lifetime getting up to speed on gender variance and even in the LGBT community there’s drama about it. And it wasn’t so long ago that things started changing within the community. And actually IMO, trans and gay people got along MUCH BETTER a couple of decades ago, although it was sometimes more “live and let live” more than “understanding and supportive”. And still is for many people.
So saying these heteros intentionally “want to discriminate” by lumping everyone together is overstatement. And as you point out LGBT peeps fight anyway. For hetero people they have some vague lately better understanding that there is some type of trans situation being discussed (even on Barbara Walters specials) but really, how would they even “get it” without some compelling interest in taking the time to spend hours and hours and more just researching it and coming up with some understanding? We can’t even get people to VOTE let alone care about gender variance so much.
Everyone IS LUMPED TOGETHER anyway, in the acronym LGBT and hetero people really don’t spend all day being all pensive and curious about it. Especially the sub groups and nuances of variations. Of course it doesn’t help to see a bunch of guys in pride parades dressed as a form of drag even when they’re not drag queens and while it’s fun, it’s contributing to confusion LOL. (not saying it should stop, just sayin’)
Isn’t that also part of the internal fight that the T peeps don’t really want to be associated with the G but just put up with Gs for political expediency and certainly G are just OVER IT with the Ts. Forget the B it’s beyond lol.
Which we saw on RPDR Jocks In Frocks where all the jocks were discussing how they thought drag queens were just a logical extension of gay men but to a more effeminate degree blah blah blah like a natural progression or dress up for fun type of thing and not until they spent a day or two with the queens did they fully understand the culture. And Heathers v Boogers lol.
While being trans is a 24 hour full time encompassing mental and emotional exercise/battle it certainly is not something hetero people spend much time thinking about IME. I’m not talking about this guy who obviously is derelict in his duty as a judge to KNOW about such things.
ScaryRussianHeather
The original article says that five other Oklahoma County judges who handle name change requests told The Oklahoman they routinely grant them in transgender cases. And that this particular judge made the same ruling on another trans woman last year and it’s on appeal.
So Angela should not have been surprised and so depressed since there was no way this guy was EVER going to rule in her favor. Perhaps she drew the judge at the last minute but IF SHE HAD A LAWYER, they would have seen to it that she got a different judge or just not filed for the name change just yet. I’m guessing that her filing was done this way on purpose to add to the case law like another precedent.
Raquel Santiago
@jwrappaport:
As long as those views do not incorporate in one way or another a person taking their life or having their life taken he can speak all he wants. How much of it I or others listen to is another story. We fight way to much among ourselves when the fight shouldnt be with us. I have friends from all walks of life and would prefer to well-round my life with all people who are accepting not ignnornant and uneducated.
richardb2837
@GeriHew: i wouldve decidede the same thing, god made man to be man and woman to be woman, and a butch woman at that, just be a lesbian
GeriHew
@richardb2837: You have a unique way of spelling things out. I’ll say that for you.