For the girls

Trans* Jersey

MtF hormones

In order to transition from male to female, transwomen usually take two hormones for the rest of their lives: estrogen and progesterone.Pre-orchidectomy surgery they may also take anti-androgens. This is usually the first medical step on your transition journey after changing your name and possibly living as your preferred gender for a short period of time. The Looking Glass Society has detailed information about HRT (hormone replacement therapy) here.

Your GP or doctor in Jersey is very unlikely to prescribe hormone replacement therapy for you. They will not have the necessary skills in gender care to decide whether hormone therapy is right for you. It will be your gender therapist who will start you on HRT. However, they will need to send their recommendation for your starting dose and the subsequent progress of your dose to your GP or psychiatrist in Jersey. Depending on what versions of HRT you have been advised to take, your GP or psychiatrist may be able to write the prescription for you or arrange for you to see the island’s endocrinologist, either privately or through the health service, who will write the prescription for you. HRT is a life-long commitment for transwomen and the cost of the hormones is not cheap so the majority of transwomen will elect to get help through the States of Jersey’s usual free prescription scheme.

hormonesThere are a number of different forms in which HRT can be administered (injections, subcutaneous slow-release capsules, gels, patches) and Jersey offers most of the versions available. However, not all the versions of HRT delivery are on the GPs’ list of drugs they can prescribe. The States of Jersey’s endocrinologist has access to a much wider range of HRT delivery methods through the hospital’s pharmacy.

Whether your GP or psychiatrist can prescribe the type of HRT delivery recommended by your gender therapist or not, they will almost inevitably have to refer you to Jersey’s endocrinologist at some point for monitoring of your hormone levels. The endocrinologist is based at Overdale in the Department of Metabolic Medicine or can be seen privately at the Little Grove, St Lawrence.

Even if you start by seeing the endocrinologist privately, you can ask them to refer you through the health service for all follow ups. You will need to see the endocrinologist regularly, at least to begin with. The endocrinologist will monitor your blood to ensure that the hormones are being absorbed and used correctly by your system. They will ask you to ask your GP to arrange to take blood tests as needed. The results will be returned to the endocrinologist who will then discuss them with you. Once your hormone levels are steady and at the same level as a natal female, your visits to the endocrinologist will become less frequent and you need only telephone their office to request repeat prescriptions, which are sent down to the hospital pharmacy where they are filled within about 48 hours and where you collect them.

Trans* Jersey

MtF resources

UK Charities
GIRES
The Gender Trust
Gendys Network
Gender Matters
The Beaumont Society
Mermaids (for children and teen support)
Depend (for friends and family support)
Press for Change (for legal issues)

Links
NHS transgender advice – NHS Transhealth
Transitioning on the NHS information from a transwoman – Writings of a Trans Activist
UK based forum predominantly for MtF friends and advice – TransgenderZone
UK based advice for transwomen – The Angels
UK comprehensive medical advice for transwomen – Looking Glass Society

US based resource for all things MtF – Transsexual Road Map
US based online magazine for transwomen – Femme Secrets
US based online magazine for transwoman – Lynn’s Place
US based advice for transwomen – Susan’s Place
US based advice for transwomen – Laura’s Playground
US based advice for trans* people – Trans Health

Wigs – Alternative Hair, Jersey
Laser hair removal – Aesthetic Laser Clinic, Jersey

Complete make-over service, dresses, shoes, lingerie, cosmetics, wigs, breastforms – TransLife
Dresses, shoes, lingerie, cosmetics, wigs, breastforms – Suddenly Fem
Shoes, lingerie, cosmetics, wigs, breastforms – The Fantasy Girl
Shoes, lingerie, breastforms – Classic Curves

booksBooks
On Becoming a Woman: A Transsexual and Transgender Guide for Transitioning From Male to Female by Jennifer Corbett (2014)
My New Gender Workbook: A Step-by-Step Guide to Achieving World Peace Through Gender Anarchy and Sex Positivity by Kate Bornstein (2013)
Transgender 101: A Simple Guide to a Complex Issue by Nicholas Teich (2012)
Grrl Alex: A Personal Journey to a Transgender Identity by Alex Drummond (2012)
Helping Your Transgender Teen: A Guide for Parents by Irwin Krieger (2011)
The Transgender Guidebook: Keys to a Successful Transition by Anne Boedecker (2011)
Becoming Drusilla: One Life, Two Friends, Three Genders by Richard Beard (2009)
The Transgender Child: A Handbook for Families and Professionals by Brill (2008)
She’s Not the Man I Married: My Life With a Transgender Husband by Helen Boyd (2007)
The Transgender Companion (Male to Female): The Complete Guide to Becoming the Woman You Want to Be by Jennifer Seeley (2007)
Finding the Real Me: True Tales of Sex and Gender Diversity by Tracie O’Keefe (2003)

Trans* Jersey

MtF timeline

For those who are still questioning their gender, take some time to read this site, to surf the Internet and watch video clips uploaded by transwomen, to read some of the excellent personal accounts of transitioning available as books from Amazon, and to feel comfortable with the idea that you are trans*. This is an important step and not one that should be hurried. It can take years to reach a point of ease with who you are.

However, it is worth reaching that point before you more forward with your transition, especially in Jersey. We all know how quickly news travels in small communities, more so than in a big city. You are unlikely to be able to keep your transition a secret in the island. You need to be prepared to ‘out’ yourself to all sorts of people in order to get their help and you can only do that if you are proud and confident about who you are.

Having reached a place where you know that you are transgender, your first point of contact is your doctor/GP in Jersey. Explain to them that you are unhappy with the gender assigned to you at birth and that you would like to start the process of transitioning. Ask your GP to write a letter of referral to a gender therapist (if going the privately funded route) or to a psychiatrist within the health services in Jersey (if going the publicly funded route).

There are no gender therapists in Jersey so you will have to go to the UK for counselling. Your GP can either refer you privately to a gender clinic of your choice or your Jersey psychiatrist can refer you through the NHS to the Charing Cross Gender Identity Clinic. The advantages of going private are that you control the timetable and can get things moving as quickly as you need to. The disadvantage is that you pay for private consultations (see the finance page). The NHS route is free but you are stuck with their timescale.

Remember that your therapist is not there to ‘judge’ you. They are there to help you make sure that transitioning is what you want to do. Therapy is a time for you to ask questions about transitioning, to be honest with yourself and answer the therapist’s questions as openly as you can, to think about alternatives to transitioning and to understand why they are not an option for you, and to double-check your feelings with an impartial and skilled observer.

Depending on how you and your therapist feel about your readiness to transition, the next step is either to change your name by deed poll to the name by which you want to be known going forward or to commence hormone therapy.

For more information about changing your name and all your documents, see the change of name page.

evolution-womanJersey has the necessary skills on the island to administer your hormone therapy, which will be a lifelong commitment to taking estrogen, progestogen and antiandrogen in some form. Your therapist will need to provide a letter to your GP or psychiatrist recommending that you commence hormone therapy, the appropriate delivery method of the hormones and the doses that you require. Your GP or psychiatrist can then refer you to the island’s endocrinologist. This can be done privately, for which you will pay, or you can be referred through the States system, which is free.

For more information about hormone therapy, see the hormones page.

This may be as far as you wish to go in your transition. You may consider the changes made by the hormone therapy sufficient to allow you to pass as a woman. However, you may elect to undergo one or more surgical procedures to further feminise your body. If so, you will need to leave the island again for your operation(s). Jersey has no surgeons who can perform this specialist surgery. You will need to decide whether you wish to pay for surgery privately or whether you are prepared to wait for surgery in the UK through the NHS.

If you elect to have surgery through the NHS, you need to ask your NHS therapist to place you on the NHS waiting list.

If you elect to have private surgery there are two advantages: you can choose your surgeon, so you can choose to see anyone in the world who takes private patients, and the timing of your surgery is your choice. You should research your surgeon carefully, taking time to read testimonials from transwomen who have had surgery with them. If you are unsure about your choice, ask your GP for their opinion.

Once you have selected your surgeon, contact them directly. You do not need to go back to your GP for a referral. However, the surgeon will undoubtedly want a letter from your therapist or GP referring you after you have made the initial contact.

For more information about surgery, see the surgery page.

Finally, take ownership of your transition. If you are not getting the answers you require from your health professional, keep asking until you do. Research as much as you can and prepare the questions you want answered before every consultation. Your Jersey GP may never have taken a patient through a transition process so you may need to guide them on what they need to do next for you.

Trans* Jersey

MtF change of name

The order in which you sort out your documents is important as you do not want to be left without photographic ID or in the position of having conflicting IDs. The order we deal with the documents below is the order in which we would suggest that you arrange to have them changed.

Deed Poll
Once you have decided on your new name, you can either visit an advocate or the Samedi Section of the Judicial Greffe. Ask them to prepare a deed poll changing your name. They may ask you for the usual photographic ID and proof of address. They may also ask you for your birth certificate or, if you have changed your name before, your marriage certificate or previous deed poll.

They will then prepare the deed poll, which does not specify your gender. It will say something similar to: “Know all men by these present (which are intended to be enrolled in the Rolls of the Royal Court of Jersey) that I, the undersigned XXX, a British subject, having been born in XXX, on XXX, and being ordinarily resident in the Island of Jersey at XXX, do hereby absolutely renounce and abandon the use of the said forenames of XXX and in lieu thereof adopt the forenames of XXX.

“For the purposes of evidencing such a change of name, I hereby declare that at all times hereafter in all records, deeds, documents and other writings and in all actions, suits and proceedings as well as in all devises and transactions, matters and things whatsoever and upon all occasions, I, the said XXX shall use and subscribe the said forenames of XXX, in lieu of the said forenames of XXX and I hereby authorise and request all persons whomsoever at all times to designate, describe and address me by such adopted forenames of XXX in lieu of the said forenames of XXX.”

The deed poll is then signed by you with your old and new signature and witnessed by your advocate or someone at the Greffe. At the next available sitting, the deed will be registered by your advocate with the Royal Court. You are not required to attend court.

Once your deed poll has been registered, you will be given an original copy of it. You must keep this document safe, just as you would a birth certificate. Because it is not a good idea to let anyone have the original of your deed poll, ask your advocate/the Greffe if they will provide you with certified copies of it. You will need at least 5 copies to give to various authorities.

documentsSocial Security
The easiest way to alter your record at social security is to visit the department in La Motte Street with a copy of your deed poll and your current social security card. This may mean asking your employer for your current card (if you are still on the old style card that had to be held by your employer). The new registration cards do not have to be held by your employer – employers take a copy and you keep the card. The social security helpdesk staff will change your record while you wait and provide you with a new registration card and health card. You will then need to show this to your employer for their records.

Income Tax
Writing to the Income Tax Department is the best way to ensure that your name is changed on their records. Make sure that you include your tax ref somewhere in the letter. Enclose one of the copies of your deed poll, ask the department to change your name on all their records and ask them to send you a replacement ITIS effective rate notice in your new name. It should take about 1 week and you will then need to give this to your employer for their records.

Driving Licence
Your parish hall will issue a new driving licence in your new name. You will need to complete the application form, provide one of your deed poll copies, provide two passport photos and surrender your old licence. The application form asks for your sex but this information does not appear on the face of the driving licence as your title or your sex. It appears to be used internally for the parish to be able to address letters to you so select F and your correspondence will come addressed to Ms.

It will take about 2 weeks for you to get your new driving licence during which time you cannot do anything further about your change of name. You need to wait until you get your driving licence back before doing the next document change.

Other
Now you have photo ID and correspondence from the income tax dept, you can set about changing your details with your bank, your credit card providers, the utility companies, your insurers, etc. Some of these may want to also see your deed poll.

Passport
The Customs and Immigration Department will issue a new passport in your new name. You will need to complete the application form, provide one of your deed poll copies, provide two passport photos, a letter from your GP or gender therapist and surrender your old passport. The application form asks for your title but not your sex, strangely, as your sex does appear on the face of your passport. Make it clear that your title is now Miss or Ms. For those who are Dr or Rev, you may need to write a covering letter of explanation.

It will take about 6 weeks for you to get your new passport during which time you will not be able to travel abroad so make sure that you time your application carefully.

Trans* Jersey

Healthcare gatekeepers

These are the main healthcare professionals you will need to deal with in your transition. If, at any stage, you find you cannot get on with your healthcare provider, or you are not confident in their abilities or the advice you are being given, seek to change. Not all healthcare providers are skilled or experienced with trans* patients and their issues, so make sure you are seeing someone who is or, if they are not yet skilled, someone who is sympathetic to your situation and willing to do their research. Don’t assume that because your GP is unhelpful, all GPs will be unhelpful – it doesn’t work like that! For every GP who does not want to deal with trans* patients, there are many more supportive and interested ones.

Things you can do to help
There are a number of things that you can do to help with your consultations:

  • Do your homework about transitioning so that you become knowledgeable about the process and can plan ahead
  • Prepare for consultations by knowing what you want to get out of the interview
  • Be clear and concise in the consultation – don’t ‘kitchen sink’ – realistically doctors can only deal with one or two issues at a time
  • Stay calm and stick to the facts – try not to get emotional as it won’t help you think or communicate clearly
  • Be patient with the professional if they ask you to recap your history for them, or they are new to trans* issues, or they don’t seem to understand what it is you are asking them to do
  • Double-check with the healthcare professional if you think something isn’t right – they are human and can make mistakes, too
  • Don’t be afraid to ask the healthcare professional to explain something you don’t understand, and to ask again if you still don’t understand it
  • Finally, become the expert on you and your transition

Your Jersey GP or doctor
Their role in your transition is one of co-ordinator and referrer to the various agencies that you need to access. You can expect them to undertake the following tasks for you:

  • Providing a non-judgemental sounding-board for all and any healthcare concerns you might have during your transition
  • Researching the options available to you and providing you with a choice of options and their implications
  • Writing a letter of referral to a gender therapist (if going the private route into the UK system)
  • Writing a letter of referral to a Jersey psychiatrist (if going the public route into the UK system)
  • Writing a letter of referral to Jersey’s endocrinologist
  • Writing letters of referral to surgeons specialising in gender reassignment techniques (if going the private route)
  • Writing prescriptions for hormone therapy (if not being done through the endocrinologist)
  • Writing a letter of confirmation that you are undergoing gender reassignment for those authorities that require it
  • Providing pre-surgery confirmation that you are physically fit to undergo surgery
  • Taking blood samples as requested by your other healthcare providers
  • Liaising with your other healthcare providers to share information about your transition
  • Monitoring your transition by taking an interest in your general well-being and progress

Your Jersey psychiatrist (if going the public route into the UK system)
Your Jersey psychiatrist will not be a specialist in the field of gender care. The demand for gender care in Jersey is not big enough to warrant a specialist being employed. Their role in your transition is one of referrer to the Charing Cross Gender Identity Clinic in the UK. You can expect them to undertake the following tasks for you:

  • Providing a non-judgemental stance on your desire to transition
  • Providing you with a choice of options and their implications
  • Writing a letter of referral to the Charing Cross Gender Identity Clinic
  • Writing a letter of referral to Jersey’s endocrinologist (or your Jersey GP might do this)
  • Liaising with your other healthcare providers to share information about your transition

Your gender therapist
Some trans* people don’t strike up a rapport with their therapist at the first go and this makes it hard for them to have confidence in the advice they are being given. This may be to do with the manner of the therapist or it may be to do with the preconception that some trans* people have about their gender therapist. Unfortunately, some trans* people see their gender therapist as the person with the ultimate power to say ‘no’ to their desire to transition, which immediately sets up a confrontational or defensive position. This is not how you should approach gender therapy. Gender therapy is your opportunity to explore whether transitioning is right for you. If your gender therapist asks you difficult questions sometimes, it is because they want you to think about aspects of transitioning you have not considered, or not considered fully. It is not because they are blocking you from accessing treatment. Respect your therapist’s experience in their field and work with them to achieve your goals. If you have given the therapist a chance to build a rapport with you and it is still not happening as you would wish, seek to change.

You can expect your therapist to undertake the following tasks for you:

  • Providing you with a resource to test the feeling you have that you are transgender
  • Explaining the options available to you and providing you with a choice of options and their implications
  • Working with you to plan your transition and to suggest the order of steps to be taken to transition
  • Writing a letter suggesting a course of hormone treatment, the starting dose and progress of dosage to your GP or psychiatrist in Jersey
  • Writing letters of referral to surgeons specialising in gender reassignment techniques
  • Writing a letter of confirmation that you are undergoing gender transition for those authorities that require it
  • Liaising with your other healthcare providers to share information about your transition
  • Monitoring your transition by checking your mental well-being at intervals

DoctorYour endocrinologist
Their role in your transition is to prescribe and monitor your hormone therapy to ensure that your body is absorbing the prescribed hormones at the correct rate and the changes that those hormones bring about are happening. You can expect them to undertake the following tasks for you:

  • Writing prescriptions for hormone therapy (if not being done through your GP)
  • Taking blood samples or requesting you arrange with your GP to take blood samples at intervals
  • Liaising with your GP to share information about your transition
  • Monitoring your hormone levels to ensure that they are normal
  • Providing advice on the affects of hormone therapy on your body

Your surgeon
Their role in your transition is to provide you with the selected reconstruction surgery that you require to assist the hormone therapy with the physical changes to your body. You can expect them to undertake the following tasks for you:

  • Writing or advising on the prescriptions you need following surgery
  • Taking blood samples or requesting you arrange with your GP to take blood samples pre/post-surgery
  • Liaising with your GP to share information about your transition
  • Performing the surgery you have requested, as you have requested it and to the highest standard
  • Monitoring your progress post-surgery until you are discharged from the hospital
  • Providing pre-surgery explanations and advice on the affects of the surgery on your body
Trans* Jersey

NHS leaflets

This is the range of NHS leaflets available for trans* patients explaining the various aspects of the NHS service –

An introduction to trans* issues
A guide for NHS practitioners treating trans* patients
GIRES guide to your rights to care and treatment under the NHS
A guide to NHS funding and waiting times
A guide to hormone therapy
A guide to lower surgery options and procedures for transwomen
A guide to lower surgery options and procedures for transmen
A guide for families with trans* children or teenagers
nhs

Trans* Jersey

Transition management

There is very little chance that you will be able to keep your transition a secret in Jersey. The island is small and news of your transition will travel quickly around your friends, family, colleagues and, surprisingly, even people who you don’t know! If you want to transition privately, your best option is to leave the island for a city. However, before you take that step, consider the pros and cons carefully:

Pros

  • You will pass more often in a city as your gender rather than as transgender
  • You will have access to a wider range of professionals to support your transition
  • You will have access to support groups where you can meet other trans* individuals
  • You can make a fresh start in your new gender

Cons

  • As well as undergoing the changes to your gender, you will also have to undertake huge changes in your home and work life
  • You will lose the support network you have in Jersey (friends, family, colleagues)
  • You may not be eligible for funded healthcare, depending on where you move to
  • Moving location will add to the cost of your transition

Jersey is a conservative place but it is also, by and large, a tolerant place. The island’s population is a well educated one – our schools consistently get above UK average grades. There are very few hate crimes and people are able to go about their business without interference. Islanders may like to gossip and some of the attitudes you encounter may be a little behind the times but, rarely, are they malicious. The new anti-discrimination legislation due to come into force in September 2015 should improve this situation through education and awareness campaigns. There are worse places in the world to be open about your gender or sexuality.

Telling people

Because news will spread fast in Jersey, you need to plan the order in which you inform people of your transition. You will find that most of your acquaintances will be accepting and supportive of your decision to transition. However, you don’t want to jeopardise that goodwill by people hearing of your news secondhand. We would suggest the following order as a starting point:

  • Your GP and other members of the medical profession necessary to establish that you wish to transition – this is guaranteed to be in confidence and a necessary first step.
  • One close friend or family member in whose judgement and discretion you trust – inform them that they are the only one who knows and that you are not telling anyone else for the moment. They will act as a sounding board for your thoughts and feelings. If you do not have access to someone suitable using an Internet forum specifically for trans* people where you can ask questions of other trans* individuals can provide the same support.
  • You can stop at this point until you are ready to come out as transgender. Once you are ready to come out, the next steps should follow in quick succession (i.e. within days of each other). Make sure that you inform each person you tell of who knows your news, apart from them, and what your timetable is for telling others.
  • Your advocate – this is guaranteed to be in confidence and the first public step you will have to take. Your deed poll should take about a week to process and pass through the Royal Court. It is not one of the Royal Court procedures announced in the Business Brief.
  • Your closest friends and family – try to do this face to face if possible. They will be the ones most concerned by your transition because they love you and the ones who require the most reassurance. Have some sources of factual information prepared for them (e.g. a self-help book, a lists of websites offering advice, a handout of basic facts that you have written, an open letter explaining your journey to this decision) to help with their understanding of what you are going through and to demonstrate that you take your transition seriously and have done your research.
  • Your line manager or, if more suitable, your personnel manager at work – the process for coming out at work is discussed in more detail below.
  • Your work colleagues, extended family members and casual acquaintances/friends – email makes this process much easier than it used to be. On the day that you inform your work colleagues, plan to send an email to your extended family members and casual acquaintances/friends. The email can be relatively brief but be sure to include your new name and the pronouns (he/him/his, she/her/her, they/them/their) you would like people to use from now onwards. You may also wish to explain your journey to this decision and provide some links to websites offering advice. This is the day that you will really feel that you have come out and you will, in all likelihood, find it a positive experience as most people will respond with messages of good wishes and congratulations.

transitionTransition management at work

In the workplace, you should expect the following considerations from the manager that you first approach with the news of your transition:

  • They take a non-judgemental stance
  • They are available if you need to talk
  • They support your plan for coming out to your colleagues
  • They assist in educating co-workers
  • They allow for mood changes caused by hormone therapy
  • They work with you to plan time off for surgery
  • They treat you no differently than they would other colleagues of that gender
  • They always use your new name and gender pronoun
  • They take appropriate disciplinary steps with co-workers who do not respect your gender
  • They remind co-workers that it is not their job to ‘out’ you to new employees joining the company
  • They inform you of anyone else that they are obliged to inform of your news and get your agreement to do so

In consultation with your manager, agree on the plan for telling your colleagues. You should plan to tell colleagues within a matter of days from telling your manager. There should be no reason for the manager to delay:

  • Set a date on which everyone will be told (all at once). Don’t allow the news to spread by gossip.
  • Find a method of telling everyone the same information at once. Email is probably the best way to do this so that staff who work remotely also hear at the same time. Keep the information clear and factual.
  • You may wish to undertake a presentation about gender issues to all staff in which a Q&A can happen. Only the most confident/comfortable trans* individuals are likely to undertake this but it can be a great way to get your colleagues comfortable with your news. Discuss this possibility with your manager.
  • You may wish to take holiday whilst your colleagues get used to your news so that your return to work marks a clear date on which you are dressed as your preferred gender and referred to by your new name/pronouns. Discuss this possibility with your manager.
  • Your manager may wish to offer all members of staff the opportunity to talk to them and air their concerns about the change. This is a good idea as it can stop any negative comments early on and the manager can get a feel for which employees might need anti-discrimination training.

Below is a sample email that can be adapted by you and your manager to send to other employees:

I have been asked by John Bunbury to write to you to inform you that he is starting a process of gender reassignment from male to female.

From [date], his name will change from John to Elizabeth (Liz). Liz has also asked to be referred to by female pronouns (she, her, hers) from this date.

I ask all employees to respect Liz’s wishes and to use her correct name and pronouns. I also ask that you respect Liz’s right to privacy and that you do not discuss this with other employees. Should you wish to discuss the matter, please arrange to see me in confidence.

[Optional] A presentation about gender issues will be held on [date], which all employees are expected to attend. Further details to follow.

[Optional] Liz is currently on holiday and will be returning on [date].

Toilets and changing rooms

One of the areas that gets people into difficulties is communal facilities that are gender segregated. You should expect to receive the following courtesies from your manager:

  • They should ask you which facility you would like to use.
  • They should offer to provide you with a gender-neutral option, but not force you to use one.
  • If other members of staff complain about the arrangements, they should educate them.

If your manager does not get this right, be patient with them because it will be due to lack of experience in dealing with trans* issues. Explain that you are the most vulnerable person in this situation not your colleagues and that using facilities designated for the opposite gender is one of the most daunting aspects of transitioning. Remind them that:

  • Digressing gender norms does not make you sexual predator.
  • The majority of sexual assaults in the world are perpetrated by cisgender (non-trans) men.
  • Even in the gents, you rarely, if ever, see other people’s genitalia when using public facilities.
  • Transwomen are put at risk of being physically assaulted by men when using men’s facilities.

Uniforms

If your organisation has a uniform:

  • Ensure that your manager arranges for a uniform matching your new gender to be provided as soon as possible.
  • The uniform may need to be altered fit. Your employer should offer to fund this for you but check company policy for whether this is covered for cisgender employees. If not, you are unlikely to get it covered either. (Transwomen may be broader in the shoulders, transmen may be shorter in the leg, than standard sizing.)
  • Agree a point in time when you will commence wearing your new uniform.

Health and safety

If appropriate to your work and your transition, you should discuss the following issues with your manager to ensure that they are aware that some of your duties may need to be adjusted as your transition progresses:

  • Hormone therapy brings about physical changes. Be aware that if you are an MtF manual worker you will not be able to lift the weight you used to.
  • Following surgery you may return to work but may not yet be capable of carrying out all your normal duties. Take medical advice about recovery times and appraise your manager of them.

Finally, Jersey does not currently have appropriate legislation to protect trans* workers’ rights. This is due to be introduced in September 2015. However, the States of Jersey appear to be modelling their new law on the UK Equality Act, so be aware that:

  • In the vast majority of cases, the gender of a worker is of no relevance to their ability to do a particular job. However, the Equality Act 2010 does allow for an exception where being of a particular sex is an ‘occupational requirement’ of that post. It might apply where the work necessarily involves conducting intimate searches, or where services are provided to one gender only, such as a women’s refuge.
  • The Equality Act makes it clear that the employer must act reasonably in applying an occupational requirement. For example, conducting intimate searches is unlikely to be a main part of any particular post. The employer must consider whether these tasks could be carried out by someone else. Also, the occupational requirement must be identified at the beginning of the recruitment process and stated in the application pack.
  • If an employee who is intending to transition permanently works in a single sex position or organisation, it is probably best for the employee, the employer and any service users if redeployment can be negotiated. Employers should make sure that options are discussed early on, to reach the best outcome.
  • Don’t forget that a person with a Gender Recognition Certificate is legally of that sex for all purposes.

Guides to managing your transition at work –
UNISON
GIRES
Stonewall
a:Gender
National Institute of Economic and Social Research
The Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services

Trans* Jersey

Help in Jersey

The first place any trans* person should go for support is their doctor or GP. If you do not think your GP is comfortable handling your case, do not be afraid to change to another GP in the practice or move practices. Your GP is the gatekeeper to many of the trans* services and medical procedures you will need to access so their support is crucial.

For those trans individuals who are going the public healthcare route into the UK system, the Community Mental Health Service (Adult Mental Health or Child and Adolescent Mental Health) at La Chasse is where their GP should refer them and where their psychiatrist will be based. For those wishing to see a psychiatrist privately, there are several practitioners in Jersey who have clinics at The Little Grove, St Lawrence. However, patients will still need to be referred there by their GP.

For those trans individuals who elect to undergo hormone therapy, the Department of Metabolic Medicine at Overdale is where their GP should refer them and where their consultant will be based. For those wishing to see an endocrinologist privately, there is a clinic at The Little Grove, St Lawrence. However, patients will still need to be referred there by their GP.

If you are unsure what you should do and just want to talk to someone in confidence, the Jersey branch of the Samaritans can be telephoned on 725555 or 08457 909090 or contacted by email at jo@samaritans.org

Trans* islanders seeking legal advice regarding their rights in Jersey can get free, confidential and impartial advice from the Citizens Advice Bureau.

Trans* islanders who wish to change their name by deed poll will need the services of a legal practice. Again, as with your GP, ensure that your advocate is sympathetic to your needs and do not be afraid to change if he or she does not seem comfortable handling your case.

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As a trans* person you may be subject to discrimination or harassment as an employee or as a customer of a business. If you find yourself in this position, Jersey Advisory and Conciliation Service (JACS) can provide you with free, confidential and impartial advice regarding your rights.

Transwomen as a demographic are particularly vulnerable to physical abuse and attacks. In the unlikely event that you have been the victim of an attack in Jersey, you should call the States of Jersey Police (emergency no. 999, telephone no. 612612) as soon as possible to report the crime. If you want to speak to the LGBT community liaison officer, you should ask for PC710 Emma Poulliquen or email the LGBT community liaison team.

If you are in the UK, the Metropolitan Police give this advice for reporting a crime online and, specifically, regarding hate crime. If you are not sure whether you have been the victim of a hate crime, read the City of London Police guidelines.

Finally, when dealing with all these agencies, remember Jersey is a small place and your case may be the first of its kind for the person you are dealing with. Be patient with them and explain clearly what  you need them to do for you. You will find that most islanders are not transphobic and will do their best to help you.

Young People

If you are under 16, there are some specialist agencies in Jersey that can help you. All the agencies listed above will also help you – they are not just for adults.

If you are the victim of harassment, bullying or abuse, at home or at school, because of your gender expression, you should contact The Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) who work with lots of different childcare agencies to keep young people safe. They are based at the Bridge and can be contacted by telephone on 449213 or by email at enquiries-MASH@gov.je

If you just want to talk to someone in confidence about gender issues, you can contact YES by telephone on 08007 350121 (freephone) or 766628 or by email at yes@youthservice.yc.je All calls or emails to YES are treated in the strictest confidence.

Trans* Jersey

Jersey trans* law

Currently, there is only one piece of legislation in Jersey that is directly concerned with protecting transgender islanders: Gender Recognition (Jersey) Law 2010

This law deals with the process of issuing a gender recognition certificate (“GRC”), the legal effect of a GRC on existing marriages and civil partnerships, the general consequences of issuing a GRC, the prohibition on disclosure of information relating to a holder of a GRC, the requirement (or not) to alter public registers and clarification of those agencies exempt from the prohibition on the disclosure of information.

Jersey recognises that it does not have the required healthcare professionals who can make decisions based on appropriate evidence to grant an inidividual a GRC. The island, therefore, looks to bigger jurisdictions to undertake this process for its trans* citizens. Having obtained a GRC from a jurisdiction approved by Jersey, a GRC will then be granted by the Royal Court. Most islanders will, therefore, apply to the UK for a GRC, which can then be presented in Jersey’s Royal Court.

The UK’s Gender Recogntion Act 2004 covers the issuance of GRCs. The granting of a GRC is decided by The Gender Recognition Panel, a branch of HM Courts & Tribunal Service. It is formed from an administrative team and a judicial panel, made up of legal and medical members. The panel needs to be satisfied that the applicant has lived in their correct gender throughout the period of 2 years prior to the date of the application and intends to continue doing so until death. It is a matter for the panel to decide whether the medical evidence satisfies that test. The charity GIRES provides guidelines for applying for a GRC here.

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It is to be noted that the LGBT Consortium in the UK have recently published a consultation paper stating that the Gender Recognition Act is no longer fit for purpose and requires reviewing.

Advantages of obtaining a GRC:

  • All legal documents, including your birth certificate, can be changed to your correct gender. Note: the States of Jersey will issue driving licences and passports in your correct gender without the requirement of a GRC.
  • A GRC prohibits those privileged with the information that a person is trans* from disclosing it to others. There are, however, quite a number of exceptions to this prohibition.

Disadvantages of obtaining a GRC:

  • If you are married or in a civil partnership, you will need to dissolve or annul the union before a full GRC can be obtained from the Royal Court. Note: this is not a requirement for marriages in the UK since the passing of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013.

New sex discrimination law

The States of Jersey launched a consultation on the next phase of discrimination legislation due to become law in September 2015. It includes gender reassignment discrimination.

This will be the second piece of legislation to directly concern trans* islanders. We therefore want hear your views in order to formulate a response to the consultation.

Please our consultation page to find out more about how you can get involved before 30 May 2014.

Video Trans* Jersey

What it means to a trans* person to be able to be themselves

When fashion model Geena Rocero first saw a professionally shot photo of herself clad in a bikini, she was beside herself. “I thought…you have arrived!” she says proudly. This might not be the typical experience, but, as Rocero reveals, that’s because she was born with the gender assignment “boy.” In a moving and personal talk, Rocero finds that transgender activism is giving her a whole new sense of pride and purpose.

If you look at nothing else on this website, please 10 mins out of your day to listen to Geena Rocero’s talk about what it means to a trans* person to be able to be themselves.