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Here's why trans people are scrambling to update legal documents before January.

There's a lot of uncertainty about what comes next.

I'm transgender, and I've never had a passport. I've spent the week since the election kind of freaking out.

I don't travel much, so I've never had much use for that particular form of identification. In the week after the country elected Donald Trump, however, I've been frantically trying to figure out how to get one with my correct gender on it because, on Jan. 20, the passport process could get a lot harder for me and others like me.

Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images.

Having accurate legal identification is hugely important, especially for trans folks, and passports are one of the strongest forms of ID you can get.

When a trans person doesn't have accurate ID, we're at risk of being outed at every turn, putting us at risk for discrimination. In some states, it's still legal to be fired or evicted from an apartment for being trans. And maybe — scarily — we might even be physically attacked or killed for being trans.

Since 2010, trans people have finally been able to update our gender on passports with a simple doctor's note acknowledging that we are trans. Before the 2010 rule change, getting a passport with accurate name and gender information was a difficult and expensive process. Trans people were required to prove they had undergone sexual reassignment surgery, even though it can cost tens of thousands of dollars (often out-of-pocket) and only about 1 in 4 trans people are estimated to have even undergone it.

While issues surrounding birth certificates and drivers' licenses are left up to the states, the updated passport rule from 2010 (which was put in place by then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton) provides a lifeline to trans people in search of an internationally-accepted form of ID with information that reflects who they are. It's a huge step forward.

Then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton delivered a speech on the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people at the UN in Geneva in 2011. Photo by J. Scott Applewhite/AFP/Getty Images.

1 in 3 trans people still lack any form of ID matching their correct gender, and with time running out, allies are stepping up in a big way.

Scrambling to update my documents before Trump's inauguration, I found answers to some of my passport questions in a surprising place: Twitter.

Do I need to get my name changed before I get my gender marker updated? What does the doctor's note have to say? How much does it cost to update my passport? What if I can't afford it?

With just over two months left in President Obama's term, the hashtag #TransLawHelp, started by Twitter user @dtwps, sprung up as a way for trans people who need help updating identifying documents to connect with lawyers, many of whom are offering their services pro bono.

Within a few days, the website translawhelp.org was launched as a directory of resources inspired by the hashtag.

It's hard to know if President-elect Donald Trump will keep the existing 2010 passport rule in place or not. What I do know is that many of us see this as a situation where it's better to be safe than sorry, as Vice President-elect Mike Pence made it clear in an October interview that the Trump administration will take action to roll back President Obama's pro-LGBTQ policies, guidances, and executive orders.

Knowing what we'll be up against makes what people are doing to help get #TransLawHelp up and running so powerful. It's so reassuring to know that where the government might (but hopefully won't) fail us, there are friends and allies ready to step in and do what they can to help.

The election has been rough for a lot of us, especially those of us with a lot at stake, and it can be easy to lose hope. That's why these moments, where people come together to help one another when they're scared and in need, are so important.

Whether it's the #TransLawHelp hashtag, seeing people speaking out against hate, taking part in peaceful protests, or simply connecting with others to let them know you have their backs, the world becomes a less scary place than it can sometimes feel.

A protest outside of Trump Tower takes place. Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images.

For many of us, there's going to be a lot of uncertainty over the next several years. There's going to be a lot of fear. There's probably going to be a lot of pain and sadness. That's why now, maybe more than ever before, it's crucial that we stand together against hate and discrimination. Whether it's hate on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or any other defining feature that makes us the wonderful and diverse country, we need to reject division.

My own personal panic, nearly a week removed from Election Day, has calmed into a focus and determination I didn't even know I had in me before the election.

That's all thanks to the outpouring of love and unity and understanding that I found in unexpected places from unexpected people.

I have the resources I need to update my passport — thanks in part to hashtags like #TransLawHelp. I sincerely hope the incoming administration doesn't attempt to roll back the progress that's been made in the name of LGBTQ rights, but if they do, I feel confident there are good people among us who will stand up for what's right.

Joy

Sorry, Labradors. After 31 years, America has a new favorite dog.

The American Kennel Club has crowned a new favorite.

via Pixabay

A sad-looking Labrador Retriever

The sweet-faced, loveable Labrador Retriever is no longer America’s favorite dog breed. The breed best known for having a heart of gold has been replaced by the smaller, more urban-friendly French Bulldog.

According to the American Kennel Club, for the past 31 years, the Labrador Retriever was America’s favorite dog, but it was eclipsed in 2022 by the Frenchie. The rankings are based on nearly 716,500 dogs newly registered in 2022, of which about 1 in 7 were Frenchies. Around 108,000 French Bulldogs were recorded in the U.S. in 2022, surpassing Labrador Retrievers by over 21,000.

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dogs
Family

Pediatrician shares two simple tips that could save a child's life at a pool party

"The more folks present, the safer the pool is, right? Wrong."

Photo by Ash Dowie on Unsplash

If there's a body of water anywhere, a designated adult needs to have their eyes on it.

It's that time of year when the weather across the country is warm enough for families to enjoy outdoor barbecues, picnics and pool parties. That means it's also the time of year when tragedy will strike a certain percentage of families who get blindsided by how quickly and easily a child can drown in a backyard pool, even when they're surrounded by people who care about them and their safety.

We've all been at a gathering where adults are coming and going, chatting, setting up food, taking trips to the bathroom, all while kids are busy playing in the water. In such scenarios, it's easy to assume that someone else is keeping an eye on the pool.

But as pediatrician Diane Arnaout has shared, the harrowing reality is that the more people there are at a pool party the more likely it is that a child could slip into the pool or become distressed in the water without anyone noticing.

In a Facebook post that has been shared more than 77,000 times, Dr. Arnaout wrote:

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pool safety
Pop Culture

Crying fan embraced by Drew Barrymore explains why the moment was 'super special'

"Like myself, Drew has had a super hard life," she said.

via Eva Rinaldi/Flickr

Drew Barrymore speaks during the FLOWER Beauty launch at Westfield Parramatta on April 13, 2019, in Sydney, Australia.

Drew Barrymore, 48, has been in the public consciousness since she starred as Gertie in 1982’s mega-blockbuster, “E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial,” a performance that earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. So, it makes sense that many people of a certain age feel as if they’ve grown up with her.

Now, she’s an even more significant part of people’s lives as the host of “The Drew Barrymore Show,” which runs every weekday on CBS.

On May 25, the show’s Instagram page posted a touching video of an off-the-cuff moment between Barrymore and a fan during a taping of her show. In the clip, Barrymore realizes that someone in the audience is crying. So, instead of ignoring the fan, she jumps to action to see what is the matter.

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drew barrymore
Pop Culture

Musician uses traditional Chinese instrument to create hypnotic cover of 'Hotel California'

There are literally hundreds of covers of this song floating around on the internet, but this one has its own unique flair.

Moyun/Youtube

Moyun peforms "Hotel California" on the guzheng.

The Eagles' hit song, “Hotel California,” has been covered countless times over the years by a variety of artists, including the likes of Nancy Sinatra, the Gypsy Kings and that guy at your local karaoke spot.

And while every rendition gives the song a fresh dynamic, one musician with a penchant for mystery has transformed the rock n’ roll staple into something entirely new.

Using a traditional Chinese string instrument called a guzheng, Moyun plays the song focusing mostly on its two guitar solo arrangements, creating a sound that has all the otherworldly beauty of an ancient folk tale.
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music
Pop Culture

Man rewatches shows from his childhood and his recaps of the bonkers storylines are priceless

Rob Anderson's hilarious recaps of shows like "Mighty Ducks," "Beethoven," and "7th Heaven" might make you wonder how they got made in the first place.

@hearthrobert/TikTok

These plots makes zero sense.

While there are no doubt some timeless classics from our childhood that remain every bit as amazing as we remember, many are straight-up cringey upon a later viewing. Really, it’s to be expected as societal viewpoints change…sort of a marker of how far we’ve collectively come.

And so, what do we do with these problematic pieces of old-school pop culture? Well, we can certainly update them to better reflect a more modern attitude, but that also comes with a set of potential problems. Or we could simply never watch them again. Certainly an option given all the content out there. But then we might miss an opportunity to better understand what seemed to work for the mainstream then, and why it doesn’t work now.

And then there’s the third option—allow ourselves to be entertained by their cringiness.

That’s certainly the route taken by Rob Anderson. Over on TikTok, Anderson has taken ultra-popular movies and television shows from his childhood and given them hilarious recaps capturing how absurd some of the storylines are.
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movies
Joy

Woman decides that she is the love of her life and marries herself at her retirement home

“I said, you know what, I’ve done everything else. Why not?”

KCEN|YouTube

77-year-old woman decides she's the love of her life and marries herself.

We joke about marrying ourselves or a platonic friend if some arbitrary amount of time has passed without a proposal from an imaginary suitor. And sure, some people do wind up marrying a friend in more of a business arrangement, but it's not very common that someone follows through with marrying themselves.

Dorothy "Dottie" Fideli, decided that she was going to break the mold. The 77-year-old sat down and thought about all of the things she had done in life and who was with her the entire time cheering her on. It was an easy answer: herself. She was her biggest cheerleader, the person who always showed up and the love of her life, so Fideli made the plan to marry herself.

On a beautiful May day, friends and family gathered in the O’Bannon Terrace Retirement Community, where Fideli is a resident, to witness the ceremony.

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