Comment by Pixeleen | Hacker News Reader

Comment by Pixeleen | Hacker News Reader

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> “Coronavirus made me realize that in the US, if you’re not a member of the moneyed elite you’re left to fend for yourself with virtually no help from the federal government,” he said.

Most poignant quote in the article.

I am a US citizen and my passport renewal came up during the pandemic. I thought that's fine, I'm not traveling anyway. Well I am also a US citizen with the complexity of a sex change in my distant past. I've had the right passport decades ago.

After I sent in my routine renewal, I got a letter back saying that the US Department of State lost my old passport in processing. They wrote that I would need to send in seven pieces of identification, an explanation of why my passport was lost(!), have somebody come in person and vouch for me, in addition to a letter from a doctor confirming specific, very personal details of my sex change. I don't even have a doctor or health insurance, or seven IDs. It went back and forth in a humiliating, kafkaesque nightmare until I wrote them a letter saying I'm not sending anything more. My senator did not even give me the courtesy of a reply (bite me, Chuck Schumer, I bet your party will still talk about how you are God's gift to LGBTs).

> "I wish you the best of luck getting rid of that passport. Good riddance."

That was written by somebody below in this thread. I was trying to keep mine. Somebody told me that State Dept. has a backlog of a million passports. The American government, and administration, is utterly failing. Citizens at home cannot get basic services, meanwhile Biden is getting ready to play army in Asia again. I guess he never watched The Princess Bride.

Did they really ask for seven forms of ID? Exactly seven? In addition to your passport, you said they just lost it, did they say this in the letter? Did what they wrote say "7 ID's" or "seven ID's"? Not the same thing. Government-issued IDs right? Dual citizens only have six, they wanted your library card, your bus pass, like what are we talking about here? Did they give any examples of what you could provide? What do you propose they're trying to do, break a tie between the IDs of each gender (not kidding)? And you don't have a doctor. Or health insurance. But you're trans. Do you take no hormones then? You know what, as for the specific, very personal details of your sex change, I ask nothing.

> "I wish you the best of luck getting rid of that passport. Good riddance."

I wrote that. I thought of editing what I wrote for clarity. It doesn't mean what you think it means. Not good riddance of the passport. Good riddance of you as a citizen. Well I guess both. It's not pejorative, it's win-win. You don't want to have that passport, and I don't want to stick up for you if you won't stick up for the team. I'd like to but it's too much liability, I have to help only people who would in principle help others too. Evidently you don't care about that. And you wrote a letter telling them you're not sending anything more? And you're insulting a senator for not writing back, publicly? Did you vote for that senator from abroad or did you vote against him, did you not vote? Do you think the State Department will be more helpful now?

How can I interpret what you said in the best possible light, like where to begin? Just make two pieces of the puzzle fit together. I generally believe people's stories regardless of whether they're lying. I think it's good for people to be believed, even if it's by one person, just for a little while, just to know someone can trust them. Later I reevaluate and maybe change my mind.

I want to believe. Help me.

I hope that you find the help that you need.

That sounds horrible. Hope you get this resolved soon.

Thank you. I did, five months start to finish for my renewal.

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