March 31st marks Transgender Day of Visibility which is observed “to raise awareness about transgender people.” “It is a day to celebrate the lives and contributions of trans people, while also drawing attention to the poverty, discrimination, and violence the community faces.” Too often, trans people are only mentioned in the media due to some form of violence or harm being committed against them. Transgender Visibility Day is an opportunity for people to “re-focus on celebrating the lives of transgender people, empowering them to live authentically, while still acknowledging that due to discrimination, not every trans person can or wants to be visible.”
The Harris County Robert W. Hainsworth Law Library has a plethora of resources for trans individuals. Our librarians are able to assist patrons locate forms that can be used to file for a name and/or gender-marker change with the court. (Please note, we are not attorneys and therefore cannot identify which form is right for your case or help you fill out these forms) This can be the first step required in order for the information on trans individual’s personal legal documents, such as IDs or birth certificates, to match their gender identity.
We also have books such as Transgender Persons and the Law by Ally Windsor Howell, L.L.M. (2015), Sexual Orientation and the Law by Karen Moulding with the National Lawyers Guild Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Rights Committee (2020), and Sexual Orientation and Identity by Shannon Gilreath and Lydia E. Lavelle (2016) in our physical collection. All of which can be read while visiting the library.
Our databases such as Westlaw, Lexis, and HeinOnline also include resources that our trans and trans ally community members may benefit from. Patrons can research both historical and more recent changes within the law relating to the transgender community utilizing these resources. HeinOnline in particular has an entire database that is focused on ‘LGBTQ+ Rights’. If you’d like to learn more about this database in particular, you can read about it in a previous blog post here. Westlaw Patron Access and the LexisNexis® Digital Library can also be accessed remotely. You can find more about these two remote-access resources on our website here.
While it may seem overwhelming to navigate the ever-changing legal field, especially in relation to the rights of transgender individuals, our librarians are here to help assist and direct you to relevant resources that may be useful in what can most certainly be a stressful time.
We have also linked even more resources below that you may access remotely if you are unable to make it into the library:
Texas Legal Services Center – Texas Name and Gender Marker Change Guide
Harris County Robert W. Hainsworth Law Library – Name & Gender Change Resources
Harris County Robert W. Hainsworth Law Library – LGBTQ Community and Internet Resources
Texas Law Help – Updating Military Records: Name and Gender Marker Changes
Texas Law Help – LGBTQ+ Parental Rights
Texas Law Help – Transgender Youth and CPS
National Center for Transgender Equality
Texas Trans Kids – Resources for Transgender Youth in Texas
Equality Texas
Organización Latina Trans in Texas
Trans Lifeline