Frequently Asked Questions

Unfortunately, the protections that exist are only available at the state and local level. This patchwork of protections means that in some areas of the country, it is indeed OK for your company to fire you because you are transitioning. In Washington state, gender identity and expression is a protected class under our Non-Discrimination law. Once the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) is signed into law, people who are transitioning will be protected under federal law.

Alot of Transmen seeking testosterone online have had success with Strohecker's Pharmacy based in Portland, Oregon.

 Changing your gender marker on your Washington state driver's license just got alot easier. Under the former policy, the DOL required a letter from you stating your request for a change in your gender marker, a letter from your MD stating that you are receiving appropriate treatment for GID, an amended birth certificate (or a letter from the state that you were born in stating that they refuse to change your gender marker), and a copy of your current license.

As of August 8, 2009, the Department of Licensing dropped the requirement for an amended birth certificate and added DO and Psychologist to the list of professionals that are allowed to write a letter on your behalf.

Once your request is approved, the DOL will send you a letter that you can take to your local DOL office where they will change your gender marker and issue you a new license. For more information about the process, you may go to the DOL website.

Like most of Seattle, free or low-cost parking can be hard to come by. There are a few parking spots available at the building but make sure you do not park in restaurant parking as you WILL be towed. Restaurant parking has blue placards in front of their spaces. Sometimes, people do have luck parking on the streets near Seattle Counseling Service but those can be hit or miss. There is a parking lot behind the SCS building that charges $9 after 5PM. There is also a lot across the street next to The Chapel that charges $7.

Ingersoll Gender Center is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization which means donations that you make are tax-deductible. That being said, Ingersoll Gender Center never charges a fee to attend any of our meetings!

You just need to show up. If you wish, you may share your name and your preferred pronouns. If you have any questions, you are encouraged to ask the facilitator or bring up your questions during the discussion period of our group. This is not a requirement.

 RCW 49.60.030 and RCW 49.60.040 can be found on the Washington State website. Both bills extend the Washington State Declaration of Civil Rights by adding sexual orientation and gender identity to the protected classes against denial of service and accommodations. What this means for folks with varying gender identity is that (among other things) we have the right to sue the bathroom that we choose. We have legal recourse should we suffer discrimination in employment. We encourage you to read the bills to educate yourself further on the rights that we now enjoy thanks to the work of many activists and politicians over the years.

The most salient part of the law f those of us on the gender spectrum is in the definition of sexual orientation:

"Sexual orientation" means heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality, and gender expression or identity. As used in this definition, "gender expression or identity" means having or being perceived as having a gender identity, self-image, appearance, behavior, or expression, whether or not that gender identity, self-image, appearance, behavior, or expression is different from that traditionally associated with the sex assigned to that person at birth.

If you feel that you have been discriminated against, you can contact the Washington State Human Rights Commission at 1-800-233-3247. For more information: www.hum.wa.gov.

If you live in unincorporated King County: King County Office for Civil Rights: 206-296-7592. For more information: www.kingcounty.gov/exec/civilrights.

If you live within the Seattle city limits, call 206-684-4500.

That's easy! Simply ask them. Most of us love it when people show us the respect of asking us instead of making assumptions about what we'd prefer.

The Benjamin Standards of Care (now known as the WPATH standards of care) are a set of consensus standards for psychiatric and medical care for transgendered persons. This is the most widely followed standards of care used by professionals that provide services to transgender people. These are guidelines only and have become viewed and followed more flexibly over the years, depending on the actual circumstances of the individual.To find out more about the standards and order a full copy of the standards go here:  http://www.wpath.org/publications_standards.cfmThe guidelines were first published in 1979 by the Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association and have been revised a number of times over the years.  The organization that publishes and maintains these standards is now called The World Professional Association for Transgender Health, Inc. (WPATH).